


The Fox and the Son of the Dragon

by ghettooutlaw, LaCorelli



Series: Zorro and the Monsters of Legend [1]
Category: Dracula & Related Fandoms, The Monster Squad (1987), Zorro (TV 1990), Zorro - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-15 08:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 50,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20863304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghettooutlaw/pseuds/ghettooutlaw, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaCorelli/pseuds/LaCorelli
Summary: Shortly after the series finale, Zorro is believed dead, and Diego's ready to confess the truth to Victoria, but the arrival of a supernatural foe threatens all he believes in and everything he holds dear. Dracula's on a quest, and he won't let anyone stand in his way.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: The story begins shortly after the last episode of the series, "Discovery." 
> 
> Original Posted on Fanfiction.Net in October 2012 with a bonus epilogue posted a year later. And because of the time of year, this was chosen to be the first work I'm cross-posting here. So I may need a little patience as I get used to the new formatting. This is basically the same story with only mild editing tweaks for errors or small improvements.

The black coach rolled through the desert night in near silence, almost invisible. Almost. The small group of bandits had it in their sights. It looked like easy pickings. A single driver, no escort. While they couldn't see into the coach they doubted the occupants would put up much of a struggle.

One of the bandits, a scrawny runt called Benito, looked nervously at the storm clouds above them. He hoped it wouldn't start raining. He also hoped they wouldn't run into Zorro; they were too close to the edges of his territory. He'd heard enough about him to know it would be a bad idea to tangle with him, and he certainly didn't believe the rumors that Zorro had been killed. It was a large reason why he'd wished that Juan had chosen somewhere else for them to strike, but Juan was the leader, and Benito knew better than to protest out loud. He crouched lower as he waited for Juan's signal.

When the coach passed into the hills, they attacked. The driver stopped with a curious air of indifference and sat unmoving in his seat. Juan covered him while Benito approached the door of the coach and the other two men got themselves into position nearby. To Benito's surprise, the door opened slowly as of its own accord, and a man stepped out of the carriage. Tall, pale, and aristocratic, the man stared at the bandit calmly with no trace of fear, his long black traveling cape billowing in the wind as he walked toward Benito. Benito struggled to keep his pistol from shaking as he looked into the cold, blue eyes.

"Stop right there, _señor_," Benito said, trying to sound sure of himself. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm sure you don't," the man said in a low, sinister tone, not stopping at all. "Unfortunately, I _do_ want to hurt you."

He was almost on Benito who, terrified, fired the pistol point-blank at the strange man. It didn't even halt him. From beside the coach came a scream from Juan, but Benito stood frozen in horror as the man reached for him, his eyes now glowing red. "_Madre de Dios_, what are you?" he whispered.

"Your doom," was the last thing Benito heard in this world.

***

Ten minutes later, the man was wiping the last traces of blood from his mouth while his driver finished looting the bodies. 

"Anything valuable, Boris?" he asked indifferently.

Boris stood up. Like his master, he was unusually tall though not nearly so pale. "Nothing to speak of, my lord Dracula," he replied, slipping a knife into his belt and a small money bag that was miraculously free of blood into his pocket. "And I marked them all as you instructed. But I must wonder why, my lord. I thought he was dead. What is the point?"

"Whether he is or isn't dead is immaterial. What matters is what we can do with his reputation. It may make our business easier to manage." Dracula glanced down at the body of Juan. "You know, Boris, I think your aim is slipping. Your knife went a bit high when you killed this one."

"Well, you were the one who let the little one shoot you. The pistol shot startled him and threw off my aim." He looked around at the other bodies. "Do we need to do anything else with these? They won't... rise, will they?"

"No, they weren't interesting enough, and you know I prefer... gentler company. Leave them for the vultures. We have more pressing business ahead."

"As you say, my lord." Boris looked up at the sky and then his seat on the coach, before saying, "If you could hold back the rain until we reach our destination, I would appreciate it."

Looking up at the heavy storm clouds with a slight smile, Dracula said, "It is difficult, but I will try. I think you're getting soft."

Boris didn't deign to reply as his master reentered the coach. A minute later he was in his seat and starting the coach back on its journey toward the pueblo of Los Angeles.


	2. Chapter 1 - A Fatherly Talk

Diego sat at a table watching Victoria with a strange sense of foreboding that had little to do with the stormy weather outside. It had been two weeks since the death of the brother he had never known. Two weeks since he had finally told his father the truth about Zorro. One week and six days since Gilberto's burial. One week and three days since his father had spoken to him and Felipe, insisting both that he would be the one to adopt Felipe (an insistence that Diego yielded to with the greatest reluctance after Felipe had indicated that he loved them both and didn't care how he became part of the family as long as they reached an agreement) and that it was past time for Felipe to stop pretending to be deaf (an insistence Diego thoroughly agreed with as he felt Felipe deserved to live to his fullest potential without the burden of pretense that had been making Diego's life increasingly intolerable). And it had been one week since his father had taken him to task for his behavior in regard to Victoria.

He could remember every detail with embarrassing clarity. His father had clearly been brooding on it since the day Diego had revealed his secret and admitted that Victoria didn't know. Alejandro had said nothing at the time; he was so obviously still in shock himself that he needed time to absorb everything before speaking his mind about Victoria.

It started simply enough after dinner. His father had told him that he needed to speak with him privately and taken him back to his study which alarmed Diego a little as his father rarely used the room except for important business matters. When they both sat down, his father started without preamble.

"Diego, what are your intentions towards Victoria?"

"What?" Diego asked in surprise.

"It's a simple enough question, son. What are your intentions? Are you planning on marrying her or have you been trifling with her affections all these years?"

"Father!"

"Don't 'Father' me, Diego. I must admit I have been blind to so many things about you; I feel ashamed of every undeserved reproach I gave you. There is no apology that I can make that can be sufficient to atone for them."

"There's no need, Father; I understood, and my behavior seemed to warrant them," Diego said quietly.

Alejandro shook his head but continued, "It still doesn't make it right. Now so much that was mysterious has become clear to me, but the one thing I cannot understand is Zorro's all too public courtship of Victoria. That makes no sense to me." His father paused briefly. "Do you love her, Diego?"

"Of course, I love her. And I fully intend to marry her. In fact," he hesitated, feeling certain that his father wouldn't approve, but then pressed on, "I... that is... Zorro has already proposed... and been accepted."

Alejandro stared at Diego in disbelief. "_Zorro_?... Zorro has proposed? And still not told the woman he's proposed to who he is? This is not the act of a gentleman, my son." Diego squirmed under his father's stare. It got worse when his father said, "I don't like to ask this, Diego, but I feel I must. Is there any particular reason _why_ Zorro needed to propose?" At Diego's blank look, he continued a bit more directly, "Just how little like a gentleman have you behaved with her, my son?"

Diego's face reddened as he finally understood what his father was asking. "No, nothing like that. How could you think I'd dishonor her that way? I'd never... I have never..." Diego choked off his words, torn between wanting to reassure his father that he'd never under any circumstances done what he was implying, being embarrassed beyond reason that his father felt the need to ask and being well aware that it was becoming more difficult to remain a gentleman with Victoria.

Alejandro looked relieved though skeptical. "I was almost positive you hadn't, but I know how sense can disappear when passion takes over," he said, then added with a smile, "And if nothing else, I'm positive that Victoria would make quite sure the mask came off under those kind of circumstances."

"Father!" Diego wished the floor would swallow him up. This was a conversation he did not want to be having with Alejandro, even though he knew his father was correct. He and Victoria had been courting temptation for a while now, and all it would take would be one weak-willed moment for temptation to win. He kept his eyes firmly away from his father, not wanting to see whether or not Alejandro knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, son, but your behavior with Victoria has invited a certain amount of suspicion. You have not been courting your lady as you should. In fact, I must say that Zorro's courtship of Victoria has been most improper and ill-advised and should, in actuality, have never begun."

"How can you say that? I love Victoria. I have always loved her," Diego protested, surely his father could understand that at least.

"But not enough to woo her as yourself," Alejandro said sharply. "Not enough to protect her by courting her as a de la Vega rather than a masked man with a price on his head."

Diego winced at that all-too-pertinent criticism. "But, Father, it was _Zorro_ she fell in love with," Diego said, weakly, knowing full well that it was no excuse at all but the only one he had.

Alejandro raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and you never encouraged her, my son? Not with flirtation, compliments, kisses, promises you might never be able to keep?"

Diego sighed. He couldn't really explain it to his father; he'd never been able to understand how he'd gotten so deeply involved himself. The only thing he could find to say was: "I just never expected to be Zorro so long or for things to get so complicated."

"I understand that, but I think it's well past time you started uncomplicating things. And I don't think there is a better time than now. Zorro won't be able to show himself, at least until your arm heals."

Diego looked down at his injured arm wryly. "Yes, I think it would be just a bit too obvious if Zorro suddenly started fighting left-handed just after I've very publicly hurt my arm. I don't think that is the kind of simplification we're looking for."

"No, it's not. However, there are rumors that Zorro was killed or badly hurt in that rock slide, and this might give you the opportunity to free yourself from the burden and take back your own life."

Diego thought about it. After all the excitement following Gilberto's death, no one had thought to check if Zorro had gone to Diablo Canyon until after the Royal Guardsmen had left taking the war tax with them. Of course, all that could be found at the site of the land slide was the cape that he'd had neither the time nor inclination to grab before rushing home. At the moment there was a flurry of rumors, the main ones being what his father had mentioned, primarily because it had been Diego not Zorro who had fought Gilberto to save Alejandro. People were saying that if Zorro had been uninjured, surely he would have been there instead, and Diego had been too shaken to decide what the best response to the rumors would be, though he had managed to take the time to see that a note from Zorro was left in Victoria's room. He wouldn't have her think Zorro dead for the world, even if Zorro didn't dare make a personal appearance.

What had most perplexed him was Ignacio De Soto's complete indifference to the rumors of Zorro's death. He'd been very subdued after his talk with Padre Benites and had been sticking to his office. He'd sent a squad to check Diablo Canyon but treated it as a matter of little importance. He seemed more concerned with getting the lancers better prepared to defend the _pueblo_. He was, in fact, doing his job properly if only from his office, and Diego was uneasily waiting for the other shoe to drop. If this change were genuine and if De Soto were to continue on this path, it truly might be time to let Zorro fade away. But he'd had that feeling before only for another threat to rise, and this is what prompted him to ask:

"But, Father, what if Zorro's needed?"

"Then we can resurrect him," Alejandro said mildly, "but I think it's time the people learned to band together for their own protection, and you have sacrificed enough of your life in this cause. Victoria has sacrificed enough. You both have the right to be happy."

"But what if she can't accept me without the mask?" Diego asked. That was the fear more than any other that had kept him silent over the years, the one that had gotten him into this tangled mess to begin with.

Alejandro made an impatient sound. "If she can't accept who you are beneath the mask, then you let her go. It isn't fair to tie her to a mystery. But I think you underestimate how attached she is to you, Diego. I've watched the two of you together. When Zorro isn't around, _you_ are the one she turns to. _You_ are the one she worries about. And I think, Diego, if Zorro had not made his interest known, _you_ are the one she would have chosen."

"I wish I could be so certain," Diego said quietly. "It's the one thing I've always been afraid of."

"Then face those fears. Victoria has a right to know. And if you're worried about arousing other people's suspicions, remember that De Soto will be leaving for Monterey in less than a week and won't be returning (if he returns at all) for a month. A lot can happen in a month. A woman can decide that her best friend would make a better husband than a masked bandit. And love— especially successful love— can change a man: make him bolder, more resolute. I don't think anyone would truly be surprised if you became less passive and retiring with Victoria's love to inspire you. You could truly become yourself again," Alejandro said persuasively.

"If it could only work out that perfectly," Diego said, still unsure.

Alejandro sighed and pointed out. "Even if your worst fears come true, you still have the time to come to terms before De Soto returns. And it is better to find out now than continue to wait for an uncertain future."

"You have a point. I just wish you and Felipe weren't going as well. I could use your support."

"I know," Alejandro said wryly. "But since De Soto saved your life, I owe it to him to speak on his behalf, in case there are repercussions to his shooting the king's emissary. And _you _are the one who suggested taking Felipe to the man who's specialized in helping people with speaking difficulties. In any event, I think it will be easier for Felipe to make the transition from apparently deaf to hearing away from home, not to mention taking care of the legal matters in relation to his adoption."

Diego nodded; he'd been in correspondence with Señor Montez for some time trying to discover the best way to help Felipe regain control of his speech. It was fortunate that he'd recently moved to Monterey; it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He did so want Felipe to be able to express himself fully and no longer have to hide his abilities.

Diego sighed. In any event his silence with Victoria was his doing, and he was the one who had to face the consequences— alone. "I've just been holding this back so long, I'm afraid that Victoria is going to be very angry with me."

"Then let her be angry and do what you must to show how very sorry you are for hurting her," Alejandro said. "Give her time if she needs it. Be patient. And be strong enough to accept whatever answer she gives you. Be the gentleman I raised you to be, my son."

Diego closed his eyes. "I have made a mess of everything, but I will try to unravel it, Father." Not sure what else to say, he rose to leave his father to finish his preparations.

Before he reached the door, Alejandro spoke again. "Diego?"

"Yes, Father?" He turned to face him.

Alejandro sighed. "I know I just advised you to be patient, but if you are able to convince her to marry you while Felipe and I are away, you should waste no time in doing so. Don't feel that you should wait for our return."

"But... Father..." Diego began to protest but was silenced with a wave of Alejandro's hand.

Alejandro leaned forward a bit. "I'm not a young man anymore. I know how unforgiving time can be, and I have seen my share of missed opportunities. Don't you do the same. I've hoped for so long to see you married, but I don't need to _see_ it to be happy."

Diego didn't know what to say. He knew his father was right, but that didn't make it any easier to do what he needed to. Or to be confident that Victoria would ever forgive him much less agree to marry him. He really hadn't meant for things to get so involved. Every time he'd even thought about telling her the truth, either something she said made him draw back or circumstances conspired against him. He could face a brigade of lancers without flinching, but Victoria Escalante had the power to frighten him out of his wits, and he knew that he had never acted sensibly where she was concerned. He also knew they couldn't go on as they had been, but fear was still gnawing at his insides.

Diego stood by the door indecisively. "Father, if— _if_, mind you— things go well, I will keep what you say in mind, and if— _if_, again— she agrees, then we'll do as you suggest."

And that was the end of the conversation.

With less than a week until the alcalde's departure, Diego decided it would be most prudent to avoid going into town, since at the moment he had no plan and wasn't even sure how he would or could act around Victoria. It gave him time to think— and dream— and that's when the nightmares began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don Alejandro plays very little part in this story, but I felt it was important for him to give Diego a stern talking to about his behavior with Victoria, because, come on, Zorro was never going to be able to publicly unmask, and he was endangering Victoria's life and reputation courting her with a mask on. She was always a target for someone wanting to get to Zorro through her. 
> 
> Also, just in case anyone was wondering the reason for the title is that Dracula means Son of the Dragon or Son of the Devil.


	3. Chapter 2 - Preparations and Nightmares

Diego glanced at the book he'd brought with him, but mostly he watched Victoria, trying to figure out the best way to approach her. The nightmares of the past week were still haunting him though.

The first nightmare— a relatively mild one at that— occurred the night after his talk with his father. He dreamed he was back in the cave the day he proposed. As he did that day, he'd forgotten to change back into his Zorro outfit, but this time Felipe didn't rush in to remind him, and Victoria who'd been sleeping in his chair woke up and saw him standing there.

He stood frozen as she stared at him and then asked, "Diego? Where's Zorro?"

Incredibly the words that he seemed incapable of saying while awake just popped out of his mouth in the dream. "_I'm_ Zorro."

To his horror, Victoria laughed. "Don't be silly, Diego. You're nothing like Zorro. You're not tall enough or brave enough or even romantic enough. You're too busy reading or getting sick to be Zorro."

Diego opened his mouth to protest when a voice came from closer to the entrance of the cave. "She's right, you know. You really are nothing like me." Diego whirled to see himself— to see Zorro— walking right in. 

Victoria launched herself at the man in the mask. "Zorro, I knew you'd be back," she said, hugging him tightly, while Diego looked on stunned.

"This isn't possible," he said. "I'm Zorro. I always have been."

The masked man looked at Diego coldly. His eyes were red in the dim light, and Diego had to repress a shudder. "You've tried very hard to keep us separate, but all that you want is already mine, and you will never get it back." He glanced at Victoria who held him apparently oblivious to the conversation. "She will always be mine." He reached a hand up to caress her cheek, and that's when Diego woke up. 

He spent the morning trying to banish the dream from his head. His arm was just a bit sore, and it frustrated him. At least he had company in his father, whose wounds were still troubling him as well. They spent some time going over business that would need to be dealt with while Alejandro and Felipe were away. It was mostly minor details. His father had already dealt with the most important matters. 

As he finished with the business, Alejandro glanced at a letter that had been laying on the desk as well. "Oh, Diego, I'd almost forgotten about this letter. It's from a Don Ladislao Dracula."

"Dracula? The name seems familiar, but I don't..."

"They are a very distant connection. Actually I thought the family had died out, but apparently not. In any event he's recently arrived in California and is inquiring about a book that he believes that your grandfather brought with him from Spain. I don't really know anything about it (it's not in the library), but there might be some mention of it in your grandfather's papers. You might look through them if you have the time. Señor Dracula mentions that he might be arriving in Los Angeles sometime within the next three weeks, and that he's already made arrangements to purchase the old Torres estate."

Diego looked up. "That place? It's been closed up for ages and is rather isolated."

"He seems aware of its conditions and prepared for it, but do offer to let him stay here if it requires renovations. He_ is_ family. Anyway, here is the letter. Read it through later, when you have the time."

"All right, Father. Anything else?"

Alejandro looked through the papers on his desk. "No, no. I think that's everything. I trust your judgment if anything unexpected comes up, and you know where to send a messenger if needed."

That night Diego had another dream: he was in the abandoned windmill where he and Victoria had taken shelter from a storm that time they'd gone to Santa Paula to speak with the King's Emissary. This time he tried telling her, and instead of laughing, she simply got angry and ran into the storm. When he tried to follow her, Zorro once again appeared. This time he held him back with the point of his saber.

"Give up. It is the legend she wants, and it is the legend she will get," his double said.

"How can she? You _are_ me. You have always been me," Diego protested.

"Not anymore. Soon I will be free of you," Zorro said before lunging at him with his sword, and Diego woke up with a start, almost expecting to feel the point of the blade in his chest. Once again, Zorro was standing between him and Victoria, but this time he seemed to want to kill him. It was very disquieting. Was this really about his fears that Victoria only loved the legend and not the man? And was his mind really determined to drag him back through all the times he should have told her?

He tried putting the dream out of his head as he spent the day with Felipe. His father was meeting with some caballeros, and he and Felipe slipped down to the cave. Diego told Felipe what he could expect to see in Monterey. Felipe asked about Señor Montez and Diego gave him the letters to read. They did a little light practice with swords— Diego using only his left, while having Felipe practice with both hands. All in all it was a good day, and Diego hoped that he'd be spared another nightmare.

He wasn't.

He was back at the horrible time when Victoria had been shot in Zorro's stead. He was sitting by her bed, praying that she'd live, regretting that he'd never told her the truth, knowing that if she died he couldn't go on. "If you die, Victoria, Zorro will die with you," he said. 

"You keep wanting to kill me," a grating voice said from the across the room. Diego looked up to see the figure dressed as Zorro again, hand on the hilt of his sword. "You'll never succeed. Even in death I'm more powerful than you, and I'll still take her with me."

"Who are you?" Diego asked, angrily, crossing the room to stand between the masked man and Victoria's bed. He wouldn't take her if he could help it.

"You know who I am," the dark figure said, drawing his sword.

"No, I don't," Diego said, not moving. "You're not me. You're not even the Zorro of legend. What is it you want from me?"

There was a laugh. "Now that is the right question." Impossibly, the masked man was suddenly across the room, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Victoria. He brushed one hand against her hair, and looked back at Diego. "The answer is— everything." He swept his cape around Victoria, and they both vanished in a flash of light.

Diego stared at the bed for a moment before rushing out of the room towards the garden, terrified and desperate but determined to find Victoria, even though he felt with sickening certainty that he was too late. 

He found her body where he knew she'd be— lying on the ground at the spot where she'd first kissed him. She looked unnaturally pale and bloodless even in the moonlight, and he fell to his knees beside her, trying to find some sign of life. But she was gone. He'd failed her.

"And this is not the worst to come," a soft, malevolent voice spoke from behind him.

Diego raised his head, anger burning out over his grief, as he stared at the strange figure in Zorro's costume. "What can you do that is possibly worse than this?" He rose to his feet.

"You'd be surprised, de la Vega," the other said, coolly. "There are much worse things than death." He stood looking at him with glowing eyes before finishing, "I am one of them."

Without thinking, Diego launched himself at the false Zorro, who disappeared the moment Diego touched his cape. Momentum carrying him forward, Diego fell heavily against the ground. As he started to push himself up, he saw a faint glow just in front of him. Looking up, he saw his grandfather standing close to him. Somehow it didn't seem unnatural for him to be there, though he'd died when Diego was a child.

"What is going on, Grandfather?" Diego asked, rising to his knees.

A brightly glowing aura surrounded Sebastian de la Vega. It started flickering as he spoke, as if speaking drained him. "Be careful, my boy. He'll be here soon. Don't let him in. Keep the secret safe."

"What secret?"

His grandfather ignored the question as he seemed to be fading fast. "Help is coming too. You trusted his brother... trust him... old wisdom... Diego..." The ghost vanished.

Diego stared at the spot for a long moment. Then as he started to get up, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Turning quickly, he fell back against the ground as he saw it was Victoria who'd touched him. He couldn't understand it. How could this be? Was she a ghost as well? 

Gingerly, he touched her hand. It was solid. She was real. Although she still looked ghastly pale and her eyes had a curiously dull look in them, all that mattered to Diego was that she was alive. Quickly sitting up, he hugged her tightly. Her hands slid up around his neck, and he pulled back slightly to look at her. There was a strange smile on her face, and before he could decipher her expression, he felt her fingers on his throat, tightening with a more than human strength. Desperately, he tried to pry them off, but she was impossibly strong. As the blood thundered in his ears, all he could see was Victoria's eyes glowing with hatred. Then he woke with a strangled gasp.

Bathed in sweat, Diego sat up and put his hand to his throat. He could still feel the imprint of fingers there, and the horror of Victoria's expression stayed with him. It took him some time to calm down, and a sick feeling had lodged itself in the pit of his stomach. 

What was going on? He could understand dreaming about Victoria rejecting him, but this was so much worse. And there was something unsettling about the other Zorro who kept appearing. On one level he supposed this could be a manifestation of his increasing frustration with having to be the masked hero, but he couldn't imagine why Zorro was become increasingly more malevolent. And exactly what did his grandfather's ghostly warning have to do with any of this?

Wanting to find something to read that might distract him from the haunting images from his nightmares, Diego went to the library and picked the dullest book he could find before returning to his room. It was nearly dawn before he fell into a fitful sleep that didn't last much more than a couple of hours. Giving into the inevitable, he got dressed and joined his father and Felipe for breakfast. 

"Diego, you look terrible," his father said. "Didn't you get any sleep?"

"Some. Maybe I'm not used to these early hours," he said, not wanting to mention his nightmares.

"Maybe you're worried about a certain conversation you're going to have," Alejandro replied significantly.

"Perhaps," Diego said shortly. He didn't want to discuss that topic either. "It doesn't matter. I've got to go over the articles for the _Guardian_ today, though it will have to wait until the next shipment of paper arrives. I can't imagine why that's been delayed, but I must admit I'm grateful. It's been hard to determine just how to report recent events."

Alejandro's expression tightened; this was a topic he clearly didn't want to deal with. "Yes, but I'm sure you'll find a way," he said briefly. "Felipe, I hope you're ready to go to Santa Paula. Your suits should be ready by now. And we have a few other things to pick up there. After all, we're leaving in two days."

Felipe nodded. He signed to Diego.

"Yes, I'm sure I need to work on the articles," Diego said, when Felipe had finished. "The paper should be here any day now, and I need to be ready for it. And you need to finish getting ready for your trip to Monterey, and I don't think my excuses for not going to town will hold up if I ride with you and Father into Santa Paula."

Felipe signed something else.

"I don't expect to see Victoria today," Diego replied. "I'm sure she's quite busy too. And, Father, don't say anything; I know it's not right to be avoiding her, but right now, I'm avoiding everybody by staying at home, so it's not specific to her."

"I wasn't going to say anything at all about it, son," Alejandro said dryly. "I've said my peace. I think you might need to get some more sleep; you seem a bit sensitive this morning."

"I don't think sleep will help," Diego said, repressing a shudder at his latest nightmare. "I'm sure I'll be fine in a little while. You two enjoy your trip."

After Alejandro and Felipe had left, Diego went to the library and sat at the desk. He spread out all the papers in front of him, trying to get everything sorted. As he looked through the articles, Diego saw that Don Carlos had actually managed to write a brief account of the Emissary and the war tax that while basically factual, managed to leave out Risendo's more insane actions, made his death sound almost accidental and left out the revelation of his relationship to the de la Vegas' as well. Considering a part of Diego wanted to write a less disingenuous account and another would rather not ever be reminded of the events again, he was actually grateful that Don Carlos had gone to the trouble of writing this very sanitized piece and decided to let it go as written. Some things were too personal to see print.

As he put the article aside, Diego was struck with a sudden disturbing thought_. What had happened to Ynez Risendo?_ After Alejandro's final words to the woman as they'd come into town, she had walked away, and no one seemed to have given her another thought. He hadn't. His father hadn't mentioned her. She had vanished from the pueblo as if she'd never been there— the dead body of his lost brother the only remembrance of her vendetta. For a few minutes, Diego sat in perplexed horror. This woman had _stolen _Diego's brother and raised him to be a weapon against the de la Vegas, a hate that apparently extended over decades, and she simply disappeared and no one, not even the victims of that hatred, even wondered what had become of her. It was incredible, unbelievable, and yet...

Before he could follow that train of thought further, Diego was disturbed by a knock on the door, and in that moment, his concerns about Ynez Risendo seemed to vanish as if wiped off a slate. Crossing the room with only the vague feeling that he'd forgotten something important, Diego opened the door to see Victoria standing there.


	4. Chapter 3 Meetings and Departures

The weather seemed to be worsening, and Diego shifted uneasily in his seat. He really should have headed for home earlier, but he hadn't yet had a chance to talk to Victoria, and he was determined to at least try get a moment alone with her. He thought back to how much better his unexpected meeting with her had gone than he had thought it would, considering how unprepared for it he had been.

He remembered that he stared at her blankly for a long moment, until she had asked him with some concern. "Are you all right, Diego? Is this a bad time?"

He shook his head to try to clear it and put on a welcoming expression, as he opened the door wider to let her in. "No, it's not a bad time. Please, come in." He gestured toward the library. "I'm afraid I didn't get much sleep last night, and it seems to have affected my manners. Forgive me."

She walked a few steps in and turned to look at him. He had to stop himself from walking into her. It was hard to focus. 

"You _do_ seem tired," she said gently. "Was it your arm?"

"No, my arm isn't bothering me that much now," he replied, "unless I put too much strain on it."

Victoria walked over to the desk where all the newspaper articles were spread out. "I see you've been busy."

"Not very. I'd really just started looking them over." He stood there awkwardly, as she glanced at the papers. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to figure out what to say to her. Images from his nightmares kept popping into his head. He was having a hard time fighting the desire to draw her into his arms and not let go.

Victoria touched his arm. "You don't look very well, Diego," she said. "I think you should sit down." 

"I'm fine," he said but sat down on the love seat at Victoria's continued insistence. She sat next to him, and it seemed to him that she was simultaneously too close and too far away. He wasn't sure what to say to her right now. He knew he should ask something about Zorro but didn't want to do anything that could add to any potential ire she might have when he told her the truth. He tried for a vague kind of diplomatic approach. "How are you?" he asked, hesitatingly. "I've heard rumors...." His words dried in his mouth as she looked up at him.

"I'm fine as well," Victoria said. He hoped her answer was more sincere than his was. "As for rumors, I don't know which ones you've heard, but I know Zorro isn't dead."

"Oh... good." What was wrong with him? He seemed to have lost all ability to think coherently. He clenched his hands tightly on his legs to keep from reaching out to her. 

"Are you sure you're all right?" Victoria asked, looking searchingly at him. "You really don't seem yourself today."

He had to pull himself together. "Truly, I'm all right. Just tired," he insisted. He searched for another topic. "What brings you here today?"

She smiled at him, and he felt his insides melt a bit. "I came to see you, of course." So much for changing the subject. She continued without waiting for him to respond. "I haven't seen you in over a week. Your father and Felipe have been to town, but not you. I've been worried about you."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about really. I just haven't felt up to visiting the pueblo. My arm was really hurting for a few days, and, well..." He trailed off not sure what to say that wouldn't get him into trouble.

"Do you know you've been the talk of the pueblo?" Victoria asked lightly. "Every one's been talking about your bravery."

"Have they?" Diego asked nervously. He wasn't sure he liked that; he hoped that the explanation he he'd given Mendoza that day he'd been in Los Angeles would allay any suspicion. He'd insisted that he had been lucky that the Emissary had been tired from the fight with his father and the injuries he'd sustained falling from the roof of the cuartel, and hopefully that and the fact that he'd been apparently wounded in the fight would be enough to keep anyone from putting him together with Zorro, especially considering the rumors of Zorro's death. He'd been lucky that De Soto hadn't actually seen anything of the fight, and he was sure his father would have continued his story for him if anyone asked. "I wish they wouldn't. I don't think I did anything very notable."

"You've always been too modest," Victoria said.

"I wouldn't say that." Diego squirmed slightly in his chair. 

Victoria laughed. "That's what makes you so modest. You never seem to think much of what you do, and I've seen you do some impressive things." She leaned forward. "Don't look so surprised. It wasn't that long ago that you took on a bull with a broomstick."

Diego still was embarrassed by that one. "I broke my leg."

"That didn't make it any less impressive," Victoria insisted. "And then there was your fight with Sir Miles Thackery."

"I twisted my ankle." Well, not really, but no one but he and Felipe knew that.

"That didn't matter so much as the way you stood up to him. You do so much and act like you haven't really done anything." Victoria reached out for his hand. "Oh, you feel warm." She lifted her hand to his face, and he had to work not to flinch, as he suddenly flashed back to his dream and the feeling of her fingers around his throat. "I guess you don't have a fever even if you do feel a little warm." She curled her fingers around his hand and looked into his eyes. "I hope you don't plan to hide away here much longer. I miss seeing you in my tavern."

Diego swallowed nervously and dropped his gaze to her hand on his. It was taking all his self control to not try to kiss her. He wanted to tell her everything, but he was determined to wait until the alcalde left for Monterey. It would be safer for everybody. He hoped. At least, it would be better to wait until he was more coherent. Right now, his mind seemed to have the consistency of mush. Trying to pull himself together, he said, "I'll be coming into town when Father and Felipe leave for Monterey. I expect a shipment of paper for the _Guardian_ to arrive then."

"Oh, I see, you'll come to town for paper, but not for your friends," Victoria said teasingly.

It was a sign of how tired he was that it took him a moment to be sure she was teasing and to respond in kind. "Well, the paper can't walk out to see me. Besides it needs to be near the press to be at all useful."

She laughed at that. "Speaking of the paper, I seem to be keeping you from your work."

Diego spoke sincerely. "I don't mind; I seem to be having a hard time focusing today."

"Would you like some help? I don't have your editorial skills, but I'm willing to do what I can."

"That would be very kind of you," Diego said, delighted with the thought of spending time with her on something that had nothing to do with Zorro. "Actually, I had hesitated to ask since I wasn't sure if you felt up to it, but I did spot a couple of letters for Doña Corazón. If you would be so kind..."

"I don't mind at all," Victoria said getting up to fetch the papers from the desk.

They spent some time working quietly side by side. Victoria finished her advice column, and Diego edited several articles. He looked over her column when she was done.

"Thank you. I'm sure everyone would have missed your good advice. I was glad to see Mendoza wasn't too upset to write his Señor Estómago column as well."

"Oh, he seems to have gotten over his near death experience, but I'm still surprised he had the time. The alcalde has been keeping him very busy lately," Victoria said.

"And how is our esteemed alcalde?" Diego asked dryly.

Victoria shrugged. "I really couldn't say. No one outside of the lancers has seen much of him lately. He's still keeping to his office. Mendoza's even been taking him meals. I think he may be worried about the outcome of his meeting with the governor."

Diego lowered his head slightly. "I can't say I blame him. Shooting a King's Emissary no matter how good the reason isn't going to look good on his record."

"Well, for once, I'm grateful to him," Victoria said. 

"I am as well," Diego said, his head dropping a bit more. He found it easier to stare at the carpet than Victoria at the moment. "I just wish there'd been another way."

"I know. You have a very compassionate spirit, Diego," Victoria said softly. Then she looked around. "I suppose I should be heading back to the tavern now. The lunch crowds will be starting in soon." She stood up.

"Oh... yes," Diego said unhappily as he also stood. He'd gone from being reluctant to see her to wanting her to stay longer. "I'm very glad you came."

"I'm glad I came, as well," Victoria said, starting towards the door. "I expect to see you at the tavern once you get your paper."

"I'll be there," he promised, as they reached the door. As he stood looking at her, on impulse, he lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back before releasing it.

If Victoria was surprised at his uncharacteristic courtesy, she hid it very well. "I'll count on it," she said.

Diego watched her go, a small seed of hope growing inside him. 

***

The two days between Victoria's visit and the departure of his father, Felipe, and De Soto for Monterey had been relatively uneventful. His nightmares seemed to have ended; he couldn't even remember dreaming. As promised, he rode into Los Angeles where he saw his father and Felipe off on their journey. He did not envy them sharing the coach with De Soto on the way to Monterey, but hopefully, there would be a number of other passengers along the way to make the journey less stressful for them. 

It seemed as if most of the residents of Los Angeles were in the plaza that day. Diego wasn't sure if it was because it was a sign of respect for his father or because of a desire to see the alcalde leave. He was glad that he'd said his good-byes to his father and Felipe at the hacienda as he was hard-pressed to get more than a moment with them before they entered the coach with all the last-minute well-wishers approaching them. Felipe seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the attention; he'd spent too much of his life trying to blend into the background to appreciate so much at once. He tried staying behind Alejandro until it was time to board the coach. Finally, everything was loaded and ready and the coach pulled away. Diego watched until it was out of sight. He was going to miss his father and Felipe; the hacienda was going to feel very empty without them there.

Walking over to the _Guardian_ office, Diego was pleased to see that the paper had arrived; he'd been almost sure that it wouldn't. After dropping the finished articles on the desk, he wrote a message to send to Jorge and Domingo, his usual typesetters. Giving the message to the _vaquero_ who had driven his father and Felipe with their bags into town, Diego headed for the tavern. Victoria stood behind the bar. A little hesitantly, he walked over to her.

"_Buenas días_, Diego," Victoria said cheerfully. "It's good to see you."

"_Buenas días_, Victoria," he replied. "As promised, I'm back in town, though I wasn't sure I'd make it considering all the last minute things that came up this morning."

Victoria smiled at him. "That's always the way with long trips, it seems. Isn't this Felipe's first trip to Monterey?"

"It is. I almost wish I was going with them."

"I'm glad you're staying. It's going to be quiet enough around here without you being gone as well," Victoria said brightly.

Smiling back at her, he said, "I will be happy to add to the noise levels here, even if I'm generally a quiet fellow."

"I appreciate your sacrifice."

"It's not much of a sacrifice; I think it's going to be too quiet at home as well," he said, sincerely. Before he could say anything more, they were interrupted by the entrance of Sergeant Mendoza into the tavern. "_Hola_, Sergeant," he said as Mendoza approached them. "You seem to be in a good mood today."

"_Buenas dias_, Don Diego," Mendoza replied. "_Sí_, it is looking to be a good day. All the men have been doing well with their drills; the alcalde left no paperwork for me to do; and everything has been so peaceful lately. It's like we've been given a holiday from trouble."

"So it seems, Sergeant," Diego said, agreeably, though to him it felt more like the calm before the storm. "And in light of that, won't you join me for lunch?" 

A big smile broke out on Mendoza's face. "It would be my pleasure, Don Diego," he said and then added, "You know it really hasn't been the same without you here. I've missed our lunches. I hope your arm is doing better now."

"_Sí_, it is, _gracias_," Diego said, moving to a table, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to get any more time with Victoria and determined to at least appear as much like his old self as possible. 

He was relieved that most of the people who approached him while he ate mostly asked about his father and Felipe, rather than making any comment about the events of two weeks before, and no one seemed to think he was behaving out of character. He ate quickly, since he wanted to get to work preparing the _Guardian_ for publication, since the next day was market day and the best time to distribute the newspaper, and once he had this responsibility out of the way he could concentrate on trying to tell Victoria the truth. 

By the time he made his way back to the office, Jorge and Domingo had arrived and the three of them worked on getting the _Guardian_ prepared for publication the next day. Once that was done, he reluctantly returned home for the rest of the day, as he had several things to see to if he wanted his next day to be mostly free.

He had been right. The house was too quiet, and the cave even more so. He was fully struck by the irony considering Felipe's inability to speak. As he finished cleaning up from his last experiment, Diego hoped that Señor Montez would be able to help Felipe, since he clearly had the capacity to speak just the inability to consciously control it. A part of him still wished he'd gone with them to Monterey, but he knew that was in large part because he wanted to avoid doing what he really had no justification in delaying any longer. He sighed. He had always thought himself brave, but somehow telling the woman he loved who he really was filled him with more fear than any of the times he'd faced death as Zorro.

As he headed to bed that night, he knew that tomorrow he needed to do something. He was _not_ going to wait until his father came home. He lay awake for some time trying to figure out what he should do and fell asleep not having decided.

***

Diego sighed as he continued to watch Victoria from his corner of the tavern. He hadn't yet really had a moment to talk with Victoria all day. In the morning, he'd been occupied overseeing the printing and initial distribution of the _Guardian_, and when he had a chance to visit the tavern, he'd found Victoria far too busy to give him more than passing notice, so he'd decided to return in the evening, hoping it would be less busy. 

It wasn't, and he hadn't been able to do much more than watch Victoria at work, reflect over the events of the past two weeks, and wonder if the threatening storm would actually break. He was glad he'd taken Esperanza to the livery stable rather than left her standing outside in uncertain conditions. Looking around, Diego noticed that the tavern had started to empty while he'd been daydreaming. Only a few soldiers remained, probably because they had only a short distance to go once they left. The feelings of foreboding that had been plaguing him for most of the evening seemed to be growing stronger, yet there was nothing particularly out of sorts in the tavern. He knew every one of the patrons, and Victoria had no overnight guests. 

Perhaps, it was just the weather that was making him so nervous. Walking over to the window to take a closer look at the sky, Diego could see flashes of lightning in the distance and hear the distant rumble of thunder. It looked like the worst of the storm was heading directly for Los Angeles. As he stood there, he was startled by the sound of Victoria's voice beside him.

"I hope you're not planning on leaving yet," she said. "It looks like it might start pouring any minute."

"I'm afraid you're right," he said. He glanced at her nervously. "It looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer."

She smiled. "I don't mind." Casting a quick look around the nearly empty tavern, she said, "I could use some pleasant conversation now. I've spent all day running in and out of the kitchen."

"Well, I suppose it's the price you pay for being the best cook in the territory," he said. "But there's no reason why you can't sit down for a bit now, is there?"

"No," she said. "Go sit back down. I'll be there in a moment." She went back into the kitchen and came out with a pitcher of lemonade and another glass and sat next to him at his table. "This is much better."

Diego glanced at her, then took a sip from his glass, trying to gather his courage. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the soldiers hurrying out the door, presumably wanting to get back to the cuartel before it rained.

He worked hard to keep his tone light when he finally spoke. "You've had a busy time of it today." He was getting more nervous every moment, and he felt sure that it wasn't just because of Victoria. There was something more, an almost electrical current that seemed to be coming ahead of the storm, which was growing louder by the moment. 

"It's been busy all this week," Victoria said. He noticed how tired she looked, but otherwise, she seemed unaffected by whatever undercurrents that were making him so anxious. "The only real break I had was my visit with you."

Diego suddenly cheered up a bit. She'd given him the perfect opening to make the invitation he'd wanted to extend to her all day. Trying to make his suggestion as casually as possible, Diego said, "You need to take some time off. The weather may make it impractical, but if it clears up, perhaps you'd like to go riding with me tomorrow. It would get you out in the fresh air, and I would enjoy the company." He couldn't quite look at her while he was asking, instead staring at the cover of his book which still lay on the table, running his fingers over the lettering of the cover.

"Hmm," Victoria said, "I think I'd like that." 

"Mid-morning tomorrow, then?" Diego asked, finally looking at her, almost unable to believe that she'd agreed. The sound of thunder was becoming quite loud, so he added, "Weather permitting, that is."

"That sounds good to me," she replied. She jumped a little at a particularly loud crack of thunder. "It does seem to be getting nastier outside, doesn't it?"

"Yes, though perhaps it will blow over soon," Diego said, starting to worry that lightning might strike the tavern itself. The wind seemed to be picking up as well. "It seems to be moving quite swiftly."

He hoped it would pass quickly. If it didn't get any better, he might have to spend the night at the tavern, and while he would love to spend a little more time with Victoria, he just didn't think it would be a good idea to tell her while they were trapped by the weather. Somehow he knew he'd end up telling her if he did, and while he knew he had to, this just seemed the wrong time as he couldn't help but feel that something dangerous was on its way. 

Victoria leaned forward a bit, resting her hand on his. "What's the matter, Diego?"

"What?" Diego asked. He hadn't thought his discomfort obvious.

"You look as if you expected the roof to fall in any moment."

Diego pulled himself together. "At the moment, I'm more concerned with what lightning might do."

Thunder rumbled loudly. The wind had picked up as well, and Diego thought he could hear something else under the sound of the storm, but he wasn't sure exactly what.

"Victoria..." he started to say before a particularly loud crack of thunder startled them. 

A moment later, the wind blew the door of the tavern open. Diego leapt up to close it, but before he reached it, a tall cloaked figure entered the tavern, shutting the door behind him.


	5. Chapter 4 Dracula

The first thing Diego noticed about the stranger was his height. There weren't many men in the territory as tall as he, a fact that had worried him since he'd put on the mask, but this man was as tall or possibly a shade taller than he was. The second thing he noticed was his eyes, cold and empty, as they swung first from Diego to Victoria in a sweeping gaze that seemed to Diego to have the air of a predator calculating the weaknesses of its prey. He had to force himself not to take a step back.

"Good evening," the man said, stepping further into the room, focusing almost entirely on Victoria. "My driver is having a little problem with my coach. I wondered if I might wait here until it is ready."

Victoria stood up. "Of course, Señor..."

"Dracula," he said politely.

Diego was startled. This was the man who had written to his father? He'd gotten the impression that Dracula would be a much older man.

"Señor Dracula," Victoria repeated. "Is there anything I can get you while you wait?"

He tilted his head at her slightly as if he was considering a list of things, but after a moment said, "Nothing for now, Señorita..." 

"Victoria Escalante. This is my tavern," she said, "and this is Diego de la Vega."

Dracula turned his head to look at him curiously. "Are you by any chance related to Alejandro de la Vega?"

"_Sí_, he's my father. He told me that you'd written him," Diego said. For some reason, his dislike of this man was growing by the instant. He had no intention of extending his father's invitation for him to stay at their hacienda unless he decided to stay at the tavern. He didn't like the way he kept staring at Victoria. "Unfortunately, if you wanted to see him, he's just left town for a few weeks."

"It's not necessary for me to see him. Perhaps you might be able to help me."

"I might," Diego answered. "I haven't had time to look over the letter, and my father was a bit vague about it, but he did want me to help if possible. Perhaps, we can discuss it after you've settled into your new home."

"Oh, are you moving to Los Angeles?" Victoria asked.

Dracula's gaze immediately shifted back to her. "Yes, for a time. I needed a change of climate, and there was a convenient property available here. Because of my... health, I value a certain amount of privacy."

Perhaps his health explained the almost unnatural pallor, Diego thought, but it still didn't make him dislike him any less. And there was something else about him, a vague sense of familiarity that troubled Diego. Before he could put his finger on exactly what it was, the door to the tavern opened again, and another equally tall man entered. He wore an English style greatcoat and had rather heavy brown side whiskers and thick bushy hair. His eyes looked almost black in the candlelight. Ignoring both Diego and Victoria, he spoke directly to Dracula.

"The coach is ready, my lord," he said.

"Thank you, Boris," Dracula said, not bothering to look away from Victoria. "I'm afraid we must finish our journey, Señorita." His glance switched briefly to Diego. "I hope we can meet again soon, Señor de la Vega." Giving a kind of half bow towards them, Dracula swiftly turned and headed out the door, followed by Boris.

Diego stood looking at the door for a few moments, before heading to the window. He could just make out the outline of the coach as it drove by. Glancing up at the sky, he saw that the storm seemed to be rolling past; he had the rather curious impression that it was following Dracula's coach. Shaking his head to get rid of that absurd notion, he turned to see Victoria watching him, a curious expression on her face. 

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said, looking puzzled. "I just had the strangest feeling that I'd seen Señor Dracula before."

"Where?"

Victoria shook her head. "It's gone now. What is it that he wanted from your father?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Apparently there's a book that belonged to his family, that he feels that my grandfather— or was it my great grandfather?— might have brought to California with him. There is a distant connection between our families, but I'm not aware of our having anything that belonged to them."

"Do you mean that he's come all this way for a book?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, you can learn a lot from books," he said. "However, I agree that I can't think of any reason to travel so far for one particular volume. He must have some other reason."

"I hope it's not a bad reason," Victoria said. "We've had enough trouble lately."

"Yes, we have." Diego looked at her. "What do you think of him?"

"I don't really know," she said, hesitantly. "He was very polite and well-spoken, but..."

"But what?"

"I can't define it. The look in his eyes, reminded me of a snake's. Cold." She shivered slightly. "What about you?"

"Very much the same, and I don't know why either," he replied. "I hope we're wrong." Watching Victoria standing there, Diego was almost taken aback by his sudden desire to kiss her. He really needed to leave before he gave in to the impulse. This was not the right time. With a sigh, he said, "It looks like the worst of the storm has passed. I should be heading home."

Victoria stared out the window. "I suppose you should," she said, sounding reluctant. "Though I must admit that it's nice to have you here."

Diego swallowed nervously. "I'll see you in the morning." He walked back over to the table to pick up his book, hoping he seemed normal. 

When he turned, Victoria was beside him again. Now he knew he wasn't thinking clearly; she should never have been able to sneak up on him twice in one evening. 

She didn't seem to notice anything unusual, or if she did, she was hiding it well. "Be careful on the way home, Diego," she said. 

"I will," he said softly. He took her hand in his, and unable to resist this urge, kissed it as gently as he could. 

Victoria flushed a little, but said nothing. 

Desperately trying to behave a little more normally, Diego said, "Good night, Victoria," and headed for the door at a quick pace. 

He breathed a small sigh of relief once he made it out the front door. It was still windy, but the storm did seem to be truly past. He hurried to the stable feeling a strange mixture of anticipation and foreboding, unsure of what the next few days would bring.

***

Boris stopped the coach in front of the old hacienda. Dracula stepped out and walked into the house. He was pleased to see that his agent had seen to it that the place was prepared. It prevented him from having to hunt him down and snap his neck. In another moment the candles in the room were alight. He walked into the sala, looking curiously around. He knew the entrance to the secret passage was in here. Aside from its strategic location away from the pueblo, that was the primary reason he had arranged for its purchase. He preferred to have a secure place to rest during the day. 

Walking to the fireplace, he let his hands drift over the mantle until he hit a spot on the left side. Pressing it, the wall next to the fireplace opened inward without a sound. Dracula followed the passageway down to a large cavern; the exit was a stone door, easily barred. This would do well enough. He returned to the sala and closed the panel, just as the front door opened and Boris entered. 

Boris pulled the dust covers off the furniture, and Dracula sat down in a large high-backed chair.

"Will the rest be here tomorrow?" he asked.

"They should be, my lord," Boris answered. "They also know to stay away from the town. No need to let anyone know how many are here, or lay a trail for the hunter. Also, Ynez will be remaining behind, no need to stretch the limits of the spell. She knows her duty. Now tell me: did you find out anything in the tavern? Which de la Vega was that?"

"The great grandson. His father is away. We'll have to use him to get the book," Dracula said dispassionately. "He's also highly enamored of the tavern owner. We might be able to use her as leverage, if he proves recalcitrant."

"Very good, and Zorro?"

"Tomorrow night, you and I will go to Diablo Canyon and learn if he is truly dead. If his body is there, matters are simple. If it isn't, you will go to town and find out what you can about him. Try to catch his scent. And if you can manage to be subtle about it, discover where we might find those who will not be missed. They are the best snares for amateur hunters. Such gentle, though deadly, traps. There's no need to hurry at the moment."

"As you say, my lord. I prefer it when we can take our time. Better sport." Boris smiled a toothy grin.

"Indeed." Dracula returned the smile.


	6. Chapter 5 - Gruesome Discoveries

The storm had passed, all sound and fury, doing very little in the way of damage or delivering rain. It was a relief to Diego; he really didn't want to delay any further. As it was, he was barely able to hide his feelings anymore, and he'd prefer to control just when he told her the truth. 

He'd woken up very early and took the opportunity to deal with the ranch business so that he wouldn't have anything to worry about until the afternoon. He also went and pulled out the letter from Dracula to see exactly what it was that the man wanted from his family. He claimed that the book was an old family heirloom that had somehow fallen into de la Vega hands. The title was an odd one: _Libro magicae et occultis philosophia_. As far as he knew, his grandfather hadn't been particularly interested in such things. 

He certainly didn't remember any such volume, and he was as familiar with the family library as anyone. Although, he did have a vague memory of his grandfather talking about his great grandfather's interest in the supernatural. Perhaps, his great grandfather had been the one to bring it, but still that didn't tell him anything about where it could be or why Dracula considered it so important. He supposed there could be some books in storage in his grandfather's old room. That was something that he could check later. Right now, he'd rather ride into Los Angeles.

The pueblo seemed very quiet when he arrived, which seemed odd as he'd expected to see the morning patrol returning. He walked into the tavern and was pleased to see that Victoria was already dressed to go riding. 

"_Buenas días_, Victoria," he said, cheerfully.

"_Buenas días_, Diego," she replied. "You missed some excitement this morning."

"I did? What happened?" he asked.

"It's still a bit mysterious. One of the lancers from the patrol came tearing into the pueblo, and not long after Mendoza was taking a cart out. No one said anything, but it seemed serious."

"And you have no idea what it was about?" Diego asked.

"I'm afraid not," Victoria said, but hesitated. "Although, and this seems crazy, I heard something about Z's..."

"Z's? As in Zorro? That does sound crazy," Diego said, starting to wonder what was going on.

"I know. It doesn't even make sense, since Zorro hasn't..." Victoria broke off. She looked around at the few customers in the tavern. "Let's go outside; that is, if we're still going on that ride."

Diego agreed quietly. "Of course." 

They left the tavern together. Victoria turned to him once they were safely out the door.

"Diego, there's something I've been wanting to ask you; it just hasn't seemed the right time," Victoria said.

Swallowing nervously, Diego said, "You can ask me anything, Victoria."

Victoria looked around the empty plaza, as if she was searching for something. There was the sound of horses from a distance. She looked back at him. "That sounds like the lancers returning. What I want to know can wait until later. I'd rather not be interrupted."

Diego stared at her, wondering if she suspected the truth. Since she didn't seem particularly angry with him, he certainly hoped she did. It would make things easier. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about as well," he said. "I just haven't..." He broke off as he saw the lancers riding back into town, a wagon following them.

He could tell by the looks on their faces that something was very wrong. "Wait here," he told her firmly. He crossed the plaza.

Mendoza was driving the cart but pulled it to a stop when he saw Diego. Concerned at the sick look on the sergeant's face, Diego didn't notice the smell coming from the cart for almost half a minute. He barely heard Mendoza tell some of the men to get the _padre_.

"What's going on, Sergeant?" he asked.

"Oh, Don Diego, it is not good," Mendoza said, in a shaky voice. "The early patrol found the bodies of four men. I haven't seen anything like it..." He stopped.

"Is there anything I can do, Sergeant?" Diego asked.

Mendoza looked at Diego solemnly. "_Sí_, Don Diego. There is something, but I don't like to ask it of you."

"You can ask anything, Sergeant. If I can do it, I will."

Mendoza sighed. "I'd ask Dr. Hernandez, but he's out of town... and you're a man of science and know things about..." He hesitated again. "It was bad, and I need to know if they were killed by animals or people, and they were... marked. I don't understand it."

Diego stared at Mendoza for a long moment. "I'll help, Sergeant. Just give me a couple of minutes, and I'll be right there."

"_Gracias_, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "I wouldn't ask, but I've never seen such a thing, and if there's some kind of animal that does this, we need to know what it is, and I guess what kind of people would keep such a thing. I don't know of any gangs that work with animals. This just doesn't make any kind of sense." He started the cart moving again.

Diego walked back over to where Victoria was standing. 

"What is it, Diego?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but the lancers seem to have found some mysterious bodies while on patrol, and with Dr. Hernandez away..."

"Mendoza wants your help," Victoria said. "I understand. I saw how the lancers looked. It must have been bad if he needs someone to try to figure out what killed them."

"I'm sorry, Victoria."

"Don't apologize, Diego. This is important. What I wanted to talk about can wait," she said. She took his hand for a moment. "I'll see you later."

Diego sighed as he watched her walk back inside the tavern. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that his fear was conspiring with the elements to keep him from telling her his secret. He shook his head in self-disgust at that thought. Men were dead, and he was feeling sorry for himself. Bracing himself, he made his way over to the cuartel, wondering what it was that made Mendoza look so green.

Two hours later, Diego left the cuartel feeling distinctly ill himself. He'd managed to keep his composure while examining the bodies. He didn't want Mendoza to regret asking him for help. Padre Benites handled it much better than he did. Private Sanchez also managed to keep his head, and he was the one who identified one of the bodies as being that of Juan Martinez, a wanted man who led a small group of bandits and had a thousand peso price on his head.

Diego wished he could say these men had been victims of some kind of animal attack, but he knew of no animal that made wounds like those. Also, a couple of the bodies seemed strangely bloodless, without any signs of heavy bleeding on their clothing. And then there were the Z's carved into the chests, after the men had been killed. That's what he couldn't understand. Was someone trying to frame Zorro or warn Zorro? Did they just have a serious hatred of bandits? Reluctantly, he told Mendoza that his men had better keep an eye out for danger, as whatever person or persons killed those men were of a particularly deadly persuasion.

He needed to see where the men had been found; the lancers were no good at tracking or reading the signs. As casually as he could, he asked where the bodies had been found, and Mendoza gave him reasonably precise directions. He was relieved when he could leave and let Padre Benites attend to the remains.

Before heading out to investigate, Diego walked over to the tavern. He couldn't stand the thought of eating, but he was parched and, more importantly, didn't want to leave town without seeing Victoria again. He glanced at his hands before going through the door. He'd scrubbed them as thoroughly as he could, but he felt like the blood was still clinging to him, even if he couldn't see anything.

Victoria looked at him with concern as he walked through the door. "Are you all right?" she asked as he approached the bar.

He worked on smiling at her. "I will be, but I could use some of your lemonade if you have any left."

"I certainly do," she said, pouring him a glass.

"_Gracias_," he said. 

He drained his glass quickly. Without asking, Victoria filled it again. This time he managed to sip it. He was starting to feel a little better now.

"You are an angel of mercy," he said.

"How bad was it?" she asked.

Diego shook his head. "Bad enough. Bandits or vigilantes who have no problem killing." He looked at her. "Bad enough that I'm worried about what may happen next." 

Victoria shivered a little. Diego finished his drink and placed some coins on the counter.

"I wish I could stay longer," he said reluctantly. "But with all that's happened, I need to be going..."

"Be careful, Diego," Victoria said, putting her hand over his. "Please."

"I'm always careful," he said with as much sincerity as he could.

Victoria looked skeptical. "I'm not entirely sure about that. I think you're more reckless than you appear to be."

Diego was slightly taken aback. "I'll be careful. Really," he said. "I'll see you later." He squeezed her hand gently before heading out the door.

As he rode out to the location where the bandits had been killed, Diego wondered if he _was_ being reckless going off unarmed except for a knife in his boot, but then the bandits had been armed with swords, knives, and pistols, and that hadn't helped them. Besides, it was highly unlikely that whoever had killed them was lingering in the vicinity on the off chance that some solitary traveler would examine the scene. 

He was almost there when Esperanza shied and refused to go any closer. Dismounting, he took a little time calming her down before making his way on foot. It wasn't hard to find. In fact, it was very clear exactly where each man had been found. Diego tried to ignore the increasingly sick feeling in his stomach and examine the area for clues. It wasn't easy as the lancers had trampled over the area, and a few had obviously gotten sick themselves. Also, the road was hard-packed and not conducive to leaving tracks, except for a small section in the middle near where two bodies had been found, where water seemed to have pooled from the last rain. Finally with some difficulty, he managed to distinguish the impression of something other than the lancers or their wagon. Heavy. Possibly a coach. 

His mind flashed to Dracula, whose coach he'd seen as it passed out of Los Angeles. Until this moment, he hadn't even considered the coincidence of his arrival with the death of the bandits. Why was that? He stopped and thought for a moment. Well, neither Dracula nor his coachman seemed to have been in any kind of struggle; there'd been no splashes of blood visible on their clothing. He found it hard to believe that two men could have taken out the bandits in such a bloody way without showing any signs of the fight. However, he considered that they might not have been alone. They might have had an escort that deliberately kept out of sight.

It was a thought to keep in mind, but Diego wasn't going to accuse a man without proof, and he had to admit that while Dracula was certainly intimidating, nothing about his behavior had indicated that he'd just gotten through killing or having killed the bandits. 

Diego took a deep breath then regretted it. He hadn't really discovered anything, except the obvious that something violent had happened here, and without any clear signs, there was no way of knowing if whatever it was had passed on or was still in the area. He felt the chill of that thought right down to his bones.

Queasily, he made his way back to Esperanza and then rode swiftly back to the hacienda where he tried to wash away the horrors of the day and the fear that this was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know much in the way of Latin, so the title of the book mentioned in this chapter comes from an online translator. For reasons that will become clear later, I didn't want to use a known volume.


	7. Chapter 6 - Dracula on the Prowl

Boris had slept for part of the night, getting up shortly after dawn in order to explore the property immediately surrounding the hacienda in order to determine the best positions for guarding the property. Once he did that, he spent some time studying maps of the territory. Boris had a capacious memory and the ability to extrapolate accurately from even weak directions. It was a talent that had saved Dracula and him on more than one occasion. He always looked for the escape routes.

His studies were interrupted twice, as the Szgany were coming from the north and were to arrive in three groups during the day. The first pair brought a particular prize: a pair of black Andalusians whose greatest value lay in the fact that they'd been trained out of a fear of the undead— the stallion, Malvado, whose temperament matched his name and the mare, Sombra, who was swift and quiet. Whatever Dracula wanted of them, they would do.

The second group of three men brought supplies and a quantity of gunpowder, most of which was hidden in Dracula's cave. After they arrived, he set the men to put the house into a reasonably unsuspicious order, in case of visitors. They were after all trying not to draw undue attention to themselves, at least for a time. By the time the sun set, everything was ready, and the guards knew their duties.

The only problem was that the last two men did not arrive when they were supposed to. Boris was not initially concerned as they could easily have been delayed by an accident, either theirs or someone else's, though all seven men had been warned to keep out of trouble on the road. However, as the sun set and there was no sign of them, Boris began to wonder what could have delayed them, as Serghei and Vadim were usually reliable.

After the sun went down, Dracula emerged from the cave and seemed quite content with the progress that had been made while he had been sleeping. Not particularly troubled by the absence of the last two of his servants, he was more interested in knowing that Malvado, his particular favorite, had arrived and immediately went out to the stable to see him. 

"Any difficulties with him?" he asked, stroking the horse's muzzle. 

"Not for me or Grigori," Boris replied. "None of the others will go near him for fear of being kicked or bitten. They'd rather deal with Sombra."

Dracula nodded. "Let them. Get Malvado ready. It's time to visit Diablo Canyon."

Boris rode Malvado while Dracula took flight. They made their way without difficulty; the light of the crescent moon sufficient to guide them. Dracula landed at the foot of the rockslide. Boris dismounted from Malvado and carefully walked around the area near the rocks checking the ground.

Dracula lightly walked over the pile, head held low, examining everything. After a few minutes, he turned to Boris. "Nothing here. No body at all. He's not dead."

Boris looked up. "I agree, my lord. What effect will this have on your plans?"

"Very little. It will be best if we can find out who he is," Dracula said. "That will be your job tomorrow when you go to Los Angeles." He looked up and around. "It's still quite early."

"A hunt, my lord?" Boris asked.

"Yes, let's see what we can find. I'm feeling— hungry."

***

The Indian girl was sitting on a rock, a long spear by her side. That might provide a little challenge, and the vampire did enjoy a good challenge. Dracula signaled for Boris to leave him, before he returned and landed behind her. She had truly exceptional hearing and spun almost but not quite before he looked human again. Her spear was pointed at him, but he stood unmoving, watching her very carefully. 

"Who are you?" she asked.

"A stranger," he said calmly, looking her directly in the eyes. "I am wondering what a young woman like you is doing out here all alone."

"I like the night. It holds no terrors for me," she said. "Why are you out here?"

Dracula took a step towards her. She didn't move but kept her weapon still aimed at him.

"Exploring the territory," he said, taking another step towards, arms unthreateningly at his sides. "I too like the night. What is your name, little one?" 

She hesitated for a long moment, apparently reluctant to answer, but finally said, "Jonata." Then in a bolder tone, "What's yours, pale one?"

He smiled a toothy smile. "The name is Dracula."

She held her weapon steady as he continued to move forward. "Well, Señor Dracula, it can be dangerous for a man like you to travel unarmed in these parts."

His smile widened. "Oh but I like danger and I'm hardly unarmed." His eyes turned bright red as he lunged forward.

He was fast, but Jonata still managed to thrust the spear into his side, the wood causing pain enough to knock him back to the ground. He was surprised that she didn't take the opportunity to run but instead grabbed the spear, yanked it from the wound and raised it high overhead, clearly planning on following through with a more deadly strike.

Jonata yelled as she thrust downward with all her might. Again, Dracula moved with superhuman speed and instead of his chest, the shaft sank deep into the earth. He stood casually and watched, with some satisfaction, as Jonata struggled to dislodge the weapon. It had been some time since he had encountered prey that put up such a fight and chose to savor the moment instead of being so swift to bring it to its inevitable conclusion.

Finally, she got the spear free and immediately assailed Dracula. He easily dodged her attack and walked about her in a circle while she repeatedly thrust and jabbed hard, trying frantically to hit a target, any target but finding only empty air with each effort.

Jonata's kept her weapon raised but her pace was beginning to slow. She was getting tired. Dracula could hear her heart racing, he could smell the blood rushing through her veins. He decided he had been patient long enough and when she threw all her effort into a desperate charge, he caught the spear with one hand, wrenching it away and seized her throat with the other.

Slowly, he lifted her off the ground and pulled her in close. She flailed wildly, kicking, punching, clawing, fighting to break free from his icy grip. "Sh sh sh." he whispered and squeezed a little harder, not enough to kill her but sufficient to make her arms and legs go limp and her eyes roll back in her head.

"Oh, yes. You will do most admirably."

***

Boris took his time scouting the area, wanting to familiarize himself with every tree and every rock. He kept his senses alert but could detect nothing of interest. He could hear coyotes in the distance, but they were miles away. His master had found the only thing worth noting in the vicinity. 

Sure he had given Dracula more than enough time, Boris rode back in the direction of the rock. Dracula rose from the ground when Boris approached; the girl lay at his feet. 

"Dead?" Boris asked, as he reined in Malvado.

Dracula shook his head. "Not yet. We'll take her with us. She's a fighter."

Boris saw the spear laying on the ground. "How well did she fight?"

"Surprisingly well. If she'd had better aim, she'd have hit my heart," Dracula said dispassionately. "As it was, she slowed me for a moment. She will be very useful once she's turned." Effortlessly, he lifted her from the ground and walked over to Boris. "You'll have to carry her back." 

"As you command, my lord," Boris said, pulling the girl in front of him, with a surprising ease. "Are we done for tonight?"

"Yes. I think we have made a fine start."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Szgany are servants of Dracula in the original novel. 
> 
> In many myths, horses, as well as other animals, are sensitive to the presence of the undead. And the horse's names Malvado and Sombra translate to Wicked and Shadow respectively.
> 
> Diablo Canyon is where Gilberto Risendo trapped Zorro in a detonated avalanche in the last episode of the series "Discovery".


	8. Chapter 7 -  More Questions than Answers

Diego rose in the morning, anxious to ride into Los Angeles. He wondered if anything else had happened, but he had to delay his departure because of immediate pressing business about the ranch. His only hope was that if anything had happened in town news would have traveled already. It was lunch time before he could go into town.

Since he wanted to talk to Mendoza, he headed directly for the tavern, but as he dismounted, he was surprised to see him emerging from the alcalde's office with Dracula's coach driver.

"_Hola_, Sergeant," Diego called, as he crossed the plaza.

"_Hola_, Don Diego," Mendoza said brightly. Then noticing Diego's glance at the man next to him, added, "This is Boris Delgado. He and his employer have just moved to the area."

"Yes, we met in passing the other night. There wasn't time for introductions," Diego said, extending a hand to Boris who shook it.

"No," Boris said. "We were in a bit of a hurry."

"Yes, it was quite stormy," Diego said. "Are you settling in?"

"Yes, the place was in better repair than my master expected. I've just come into town to see that all the paperwork is in order."

"And it all is, so far as I can tell," Mendoza said, and then obviously referring to another part of their conversation, continued, "Though I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more about Zorro. All we found is his cape, as you saw."

"Zorro?" Diego asked.

"Yes," Boris said. "My master was most curious about this masked bandit of yours. We heard stories of his exploits as we traveled. It seems quite unbelievable that such a man should perish in a rock fall."

"Well, it's an uncertain world," Diego said flatly. He suspected the man was fishing for information about Zorro for more reasons than idle curiosity. "Sergeant, I was just about to go to the tavern for lunch. Would you and Señor Delgado care to join me?"

"Oh, _sí_, Don Diego," Mendoza answered quickly.

"Thank you, Don Diego; I can't really stay for lunch, but I think I will get a drink before returning home," Boris said. As he stepped forward, Boris apparently tripped and fell hard against Diego's shoulder, throwing him off balance but not so much as to knock him over. "Forgive me. I seem to be clumsy today."

"It's all right," Diego said, straightening up, certain that the man had done it on purpose. As he walked behind Mendoza and Boris, he checked his pockets. Nothing seemed to be missing or added, for that matter. He shook his head slightly. Perhaps he was just being paranoid.

They walked into the tavern. Victoria smiled at Diego as he came through the door.

"_Buenas dias_, Diego," she said. "It's good to see you today. Have you come for lunch?"

"Yes, I couldn't keep away," he said. 

He followed Mendoza and Boris to the table, where Boris ordered a glass of wine and Mendoza beef enchiladas. Diego had no preference and asked her for whatever was most convenient. Victoria poured Boris's drink before heading back towards the kitchen.

Watching Victoria as she disappeared behind the curtain, Boris asked, "Is that Zorro's... lady love?"

Diego's eyes narrowed. He got the impression that Boris was going to say something less polite. He let Mendoza answer.

"Oh, _sí_, it's very sad," Mendoza said. "I wouldn't bring Zorro up with the señorita."

"She doesn't seem to be overly grieving," Boris said, in a tone that barely avoided being offensive.

"Well, I don't think she's accepted it yet," Mendoza said. "It _is_ hard to believe."

"True. Legends are seldom killed so easily," Boris said. "And if they are, their spirits are often restless."

"Restless?" Mendoza's eyes got round. "You're not saying that Zorro would turn into a ghost, are you?"

Boris shrugged. "I've heard of stranger things. My master has made a study of unearthly phenomena." Diego noticed a slight grin as Boris spoke. "Some say that delving too deeply is what caused his... illness."

"Illness?" Diego asked.

Boris looked him in the eye. "Well, a weakness in the eyes and too much sun makes him quite ill." Again there was the faint hint of a mocking smile. 

Diego wasn't quite sure what to make of it; perhaps, it was just that he was trying to wind Mendoza up. However, it seemed more like he was enjoying a private joke at both their expenses.

Boris finished his wine and stood up. "Thank you for the drink, Don Diego. I'm afraid I need to return to the hacienda. I don't like to leave my master for too long."

"I understand. I hope the change in climate agrees with him."

"I'm sure it will," Boris said. He stepped away from the table before turning back, pulling a sealed note from his pocket. He handed it to Diego. "This is from my master. He thought it would clarify the details about the book. Good day, Sergeant. Don Diego." He made a slight bow to each before heading out the door.

Diego stared at the seal on the note. There was the imprint of a dragon with its tail wrapped around its neck. It seemed familiar to him. Before he could open it, Victoria came out with their lunches, and he shoved the note into his pocket. He decided to not to ask the sergeant if there was any further news about the bandits. If anything obvious had been discovered, Mendoza would already have mentioned it. It would probably be better to talk to Padre Benites. He was often just as informed and certainly more perceptive.

"Señor Delgado is a very curious fellow," Mendoza said. "So many questions. Mostly about Zorro. But also about your family..."

"My family?"

"_Sí_, he said Don Ladislao was some kind of distant relative."

"So my father told me. I don't really know anything about the family relationship save that it is very distant. Did he tell you anything about why Señor Dracula decided to settle here?"

"Just a change of climate. I don't know why he wanted to buy the Torres place though; the land's not that good, and it sounded like they might not stay that long. He must be really rich to buy something for a temporary residence," Mendoza said.

"So it would seem," Diego said thoughtfully. _Or he really values his privacy. I wonder if he's hiding something other than health issues._ "Did you say you showed Señor Delgado Zorro's cape?"

Mendoza looked surprised. "Oh, _sí_. The alcalde has been keeping it in his office. You know, I think he expected Zorro to come and claim it, but I can't be sure. He hasn't been himself since..." Mendoza stopped apparently just recalling that the Emissary would be as painful a subject for Diego as for the alcalde. He went back to the topic. "Señor Delgado seemed really fascinated by the cape."

Diego let conversation drift. He still wasn't sure what, if anything, he suspected the new arrivals of. Once he finished, he excused himself to talk to Victoria who was at the bar wiping glasses. 

"How are you today, Victoria?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine. It's been quiet today. Nothing like the excitement of yesterday. I'm grateful for that," Victoria said. "The lancers were busy into the evening burying those bandits. It must have been terrible. Mendoza had hardly any appetite at all. And there are rumors that it was another worse gang. Do you think that's true?"

Diego was silent for a moment. "I really don't know. I'd think we'd have heard about such a vicious band. I don't understand it. I'm going to talk with Padre Benites. Maybe he has some insights into this." He hesitated a little. "Victoria, there is something I need to talk to you about, but..."

Victoria interrupted him. "Things keep interfering. I understand. I'm not going anywhere, Diego."

Diego had the strongest suspicion that Victoria knew exactly what he wanted to talk to her about, yet she didn't seem particularly angry or annoyed with him. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted from him. He still needed to find the time for that talk, but he was no longer so worried about it or at least so worried that Victoria would hit him for delaying telling her. And he was very concerned about the deaths of those bandits. Something so brutal and yet no sign of who had done it. And the Z's carved into the bodies. He needed to know why.

"Thank you, Victoria," he said. 

"I'm worried about what's happening too," she said.

Diego placed some coins on the bar. "Well, I'd better go talk to Padre Benites, while I can. I'll see you later."

He found Padre Benites in the church's garden. There wasn't much to be done this time of the year, but Padre Benites found contentment in the little that did.

"Ah, Diego, I'm glad to see you," he said, as he rose from his work. "I was just finishing up."

"Good. I didn't want to disturb you."

"It's quite all right if you did. I expected to see you some time today. I knew you weren't going to let it rest. Let's sit down."

They walked to the benches outside the church. The weather was slightly chilly, but not inordinately so.

"I'm sorry I left so early yesterday, Padre," Diego said.

"You did your share and a little more, I suspect. Did you find out anything when you went out to where they were found?"

Diego wasn't surprised that Padre Benites knew that was what he was going to do. "I'm afraid I found very little, which was surprising. Such violence should have left more signs, shouldn't it?"

"It should, but this was more than just violence."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a feeling that I have, nothing more. Certainly nothing more solid than what you have discovered, my son. But there was a definite method to the brutality we saw, and I'm afraid it's not over yet."

"Have you heard anything?" Diego asked.

"No, but I'm a little worried. Jonata— I don't know if you know her— she helps at the mission school three times a week; she never misses. Except this morning."

"No message or explanation?"

"None at all. I sent Carlos to find out if she were ill or if there were some problems with her family, but all they said was she wasn't there but that she often went off on her own."

"So they're not worried."

Padre Benites shook his head slightly. "No, but I am."

Diego furrowed his brow. "Do you think that the two things are related?"

"I could not say for certain. I only know that I feel a great evil near our town," he said. 

"So do I. Thank you for your time, Padre." Diego turned to go but Padre Benites stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"My son, this... this is no ordinary evil. Please, be careful."

The Padre's ominous words and grave expression caught Diego somewhat by surprise and left him at a loss for what to say other than, "I'll be careful. I promise."

***

It was late afternoon when Diego found himself near Diablo Canyon for the first time since Toronado had dug him out of the rock slide. He had talked to Jonata's family, who as Padre Benites had said weren't concerned about her absence but still willing enough to tell him where she liked to go. He wondered if it was a coincidence that Jonata apparently spent a lot of time in this particular area, and if it wasn't, what did it mean?

The ground was mostly dry, leaving few indications, but Diego could make out the tracks of a horse and was puzzled a little to see what looked like the tracks of two different sets of men's boots. He wasn't sure where the second man had come from, as there was no sign that he'd been riding double with the one who'd come on horseback, nor was there any indication of which way he'd come in or how he'd left. Nor were there any signs of a young woman's tracks.

With no other clues available, Diego, with some difficulty, followed the tracks of the horse out of the canyon. It seemed to have moved rather aimlessly for some time before turning towards a large rocky area. It was here that he saw the first signs of a young woman, in the smaller sized boot marks in the dirt leading up to the rocks. Looking around, he was disturbed to find a spear lying in the dirt, its tip covered in dried blood. He wished there was a way to determine whether it was animal or human. Other than the blood on the spear, there were no signs of a struggle, but then it was impossible to get any indications from the smooth surface of the rocks. 

The footprints of the second man were slightly deeper this time, but he couldn't be sure whether that was evidence of abduction or if someone were injured. His instinct inclined to the former; he wasn't sure precisely why. He went back to following the track but soon lost it on a hard packed trail, and with the light fading, he knew he wasn't going to pick it up again this evening. With great reluctance he turned back for home, stopping at the cave only long enough to leave the spear.

It was only after he'd finished supper that he remembered the letter Boris gave to him, so many hours earlier. Curious as to why Dracula was so keen to regain this book, Diego opened up the letter.

_Don Diego,_

_I realize that my initial description of the volume which has such great personal meaning for my family was nonexistent beyond the title Libro magicae et occultis philosophia. It is a quarto sized volume with a black tooled leather cover. When it left my family's keeping, it was stored in a plain mahogany box to protect it from the elements._

_ I understand you are interested in the natural sciences, while your father is more concerned with your family estates. A volume such as this could hold little interest for either of you, while to me it would be invaluable, and I am willing to compensate you for any perceived loss in regards to this book._

_Ladislao Dracula_

Diego regarded the letter thoughtfully. It was more helpful in telling him what the book would look like, though not much. It certainly didn't do much to help him understand why the book was so important to Dracula. Deciding that finding the book might answer his questions, Diego went to where his great grandfather's papers were stored and started looking for answers.


	9. Chapter 8 - Hunter and Hunted

Boris returned to the hacienda, pleased with the information he'd gathered, especially the key piece that he'd discovered. He was still concerned that Serghei and Vadim had not arrived. They weren't inclined to let themselves get distracted when under orders, nor were they weak fighters. However, their absence was not so critical that he intended to search for them.

He kept himself busy while waiting for sunset. He and Grigori took the wagon out to Diablo Canyon and buried a barrel of gunpowder in the middle of the rockslide, leaving a long fuse outside. 

"I'll clear out all the tracks, while you get into position. Remember to light the fuse a half an hour after sundown and then make your way back to the house. I'll be back to take care of what else needs to be done."

Grigori nodded his head and climbed up the wall carrying the fuse end with him. Boris carefully removed all signs of the wagon before making his way back to the hacienda to make the final preparations before sunset.

Boris spent some time studying his maps to better keep in mind possible areas of attack and the best routes for escape. Just as the sun was starting to go down, he stepped outside to consult with a couple of the men. As he stood there he heard the signals that a rider was approaching. He watched the road until he spotted a lone rider approaching the hacienda, and it took a few moments to realize it was one of the two missing men. Boris almost didn't recognize Serghei, slumped as he was over the saddle.

"What happened?" he asked, as Serghei slid almost bonelessly off the horse into his arms.

"The hunter— he caught up with us. Vadim he killed. Me he left alive to give you a message.... He said to tell you... to make your peace with God or the devil... because there is no place in this world safe from him." Serghei was leaning heavily against him. "I rode wide to lose him... but..."

"But he's on the way," Boris said evenly. He helped Serghei into the house and then stepping outside for a moment, gave the signal for extra vigilance.

After treating Serghei's wounds, Boris made his way down to the underground cavern. Dracula dropped to the ground in front of him.

"Well?" he asked.

"Serghei is back."

"And?"

"Solomon's back on our— my— trail," Boris said. "Probably no more than three days behind us."

"Unfortunate," Dracula said looking thoughtful. "We'll have to accelerate things a little. Any good news?"

"Diego de la Vega _is_ Zorro."

Dracula raised a brow. "How did you find out?"

"They had Zorro's cape in the alcalde's office. The scent is still strong on it, and I ran into de la Vega outside. There's no doubt at all."

"That is useful. Very useful," Dracula said.

"The similarity in your builds will make the impersonation much easier."

"True, and I think that the taverness is now a double-edged weapon."

Boris was surprised. "You think she doesn't know."

"I doubt it. The way he reacted around her, with a sense of possession he was trying to hide from her. She might suspect, but I don't think she knows. I think tomorrow evening we'll both visit the tavern. It should be... illuminating."

"And tonight?"

Dracula smiled thinly. "No change in our plans. We are still going to blacken Zorro's name a bit. Preferably around the de la Vega lands."

Boris bowed slightly. "As you command, my lord. What about the new girl?"

Dracula glanced at a long box in one corner of the room. "She'll sleep until tomorrow night. I want her out of the way until then. Now let's get to this evening's activities," Dracula replied.

"Yes, my lord." Boris moved back towards a trunk near the stairs.

There had been enough descriptions of Zorro's attire that it had proven easy enough to duplicate the outfit; in fact, they had multiple copies. Preferring not to deal with silver, they hadn't gone to the trouble of trying to copy Toronado's tack. It wasn't a critical part of the disguise anyway.

"I know you regretted missing out on the hunt last night, Boris," Dracula said. "Tonight you get your chance. We will both wear the black, and once we find the proper prey, it's your hunt. I'll round up any stragglers. If we do this correctly, no one will know there is more than one of us."

"Sounds like fun, my lord," Boris answered with a grin.

This time Boris saddled Malvado and Sombra, though Dracula would only be riding for parts of the journey, since it was much easier to find prey from the air. Once the two of them had changed clothes, they headed out, Boris on Sombra and Dracula in the air. Malvado despite his evil temperament ran alongside Sombra as obediently as if Dracula were riding. They headed in a southwesterly direction with Dracula flying ahead. When he spotted a group of _vaqueros_ sitting around a fire in the distance, he turned back and landed smoothly on Malvado's back.

"I've spotted them. This is your game. I'll just circle around in case more than one escapes, unlikely as that is, since there are but four of them."

"As you say, my lord," Boris said.

After Dracula disappeared from sight, Boris rode closer to the group before dismounting and creeping silently towards the men who were laughing and talking around the fire. While he wielded a sword with reasonably skill, when it came to weapons, Boris had always preferred the knife; it was more personal. 

One man was sitting quietly at the edge of the group, far away from the fire, and Boris slipped up behind him. He almost managed to get in a strike unseen, but something seemed to alarm the man, who cried out just as the knife slid in. The other men turned and spotted him.

Startled cries of "Zorro" filled the air, as the men charged at him. They didn't stand much of a chance against Boris, who with great glee fought them. One man, once he'd been wounded, managed to get to the horses, obviously intent on going for help. Boris let him go as that was exactly what Dracula wanted. 

It wasn't too much longer before Boris had taken care of the last of the men. As before he marked the bodies with a Z, this time placing some torn black silk in one of the men's hands. Just as he finished, Dracula rode up on Malvado.

"I saw the one who got away; he didn't spot me, until he was far enough away not to realize I was another man. It encouraged him to flee faster," Dracula said pleasantly. Casually, Dracula surveyed the carnage. "I trust that you enjoyed yourself?"

Boris was cleaning his knife. "Yes, my lord, though I would have preferred either more targets or better fighters. Still, it was a pleasant enough diversion."

"I'm pleased for you. Now go finish up at the canyon and return home. And don't get caught."

"Have I ever been, my lord?" Boris asked.

Dracula raised an eyebrow. "A man with vengeance on his mind has been trailing you since France. What do you think?"

Boris shrugged slightly, but said, "You have a point, my lord. I won't be caught."

"Good," Dracula said as he headed away.

Boris headed back to Diablo Canyon at a gallop. When he arrived, he was pleased to see that Grigori had set off the charge and was no longer in sight. The pile of rocks was blown and scattered. From one of his saddlebags, Boris pulled out a torn black sash which he placed under one of the larger bits of stone. From his other saddle bag, Boris removed some carefully prepared firework charges and placed them near the edge of the canyon. Lighting the fuses, Boris rode off and turned back as the fireworks went off, exploding in red sparks in the sky. His work done, Boris started on the long circular route that would return him to the hacienda.


	10. Chapter 9 - Heavy Burdens

Diego was in his father's office, a box containing some of his great grandfather Alejandro's papers open in front of him on the desk. It was a very curious collection of items. He hadn't realized that his great grandfather had been such a student of supernatural phenomena. Of course, studies like that tended to be kept quiet unless the student wanted to run afoul of the Inquisition. It wasn't very bad now as when they were at their height, but in his great grandfather's day, there still was a danger of being accused of practicing dark arts.

Not that the papers he'd read so far indicated that he was interested in the occult except in an academic way. There was a list of books on the subject, some of which were marked with symbols whose significance he didn't understand. They might indicate books his great-grandfather owned or ones he thought valuable or something else entirely. He didn't see the title of the book on the list. As he continued shifting through the papers, he saw references to a journal in which the elder Alejandro had recorded his studies and experiences, but no indication as to what had happened to it.

He finally found a curious letter written to his grandfather that might have something to do with his search:

_My son Sebastian,_

_I know you will wonder at my entrusting to you this particular trunk, since the secrets contained within would seem to fall more naturally to Teodoro who has chosen to follow the calling that was once mine. A calling that he and young Solomon have embraced— a calling that I know both you and the young man's father believe has little merit. I regret that this has been a point of contention, though I am grateful that you have been spared the sight of the things which I have seen and which I pray you may never see, especially as you have your wife and sons depending upon you. _

_However skeptical you may be, I know that I can trust you to treat this request with the proper respect even if you do not understand or agree with the reasons behind it. I know you will find it difficult to believe but simply trust me when I say the contents of this box are of themselves singular and dangerous, and if Teodoro were to fall to those forces which often threaten, they would do far more harm than any good that he could ever have derived from them._

_This is a family trust, for good or for ill, and you are my eldest son. I have seen that the new world is calling to you and Everardo, that you both wish to seek your destinies there. I only beseech that you take this with you and find a place of proper concealment for it. I do not exaggerate when I say that the farther it is from our shores the safer it will be. There is one who if he were to become aware of the existence of one item in this trunk would go to any lengths to acquire it, and he bears our family no good will and is served by those who bear us active ill. I will not write his name, as names have power, but you will know to whom I refer. Be careful. Be wary. Though you do not believe, protect this as though you did._

_Your affectionate father,_

_Alejandro Salvador Reinaldo de la Vega_

Diego reread the letter a couple of times. It did not specifically refer to any books or even names, but if there was something valuable enough that Dracula would cross two oceans for, it would most likely be in this trunk. He wondered at the reference to his great uncle Teodoro and young Solomon, recalling another Solomon, one of the most truly intimidating men he had ever met. He continued to search to see if there was any other mention of the trunk in the papers but found nothing else. He put everything but the letter back in the box. There was another box with his grandfather's papers, but as it was getting late, he decided to leave searching that until the morning.

Checking the front door to be sure it was locked, Diego was about to go to his room, when he heard a loud commotion outside the house. Hurrying outside, he was shocked to see Pablo, one of the de la Vega _vaqueros_, stumbling off his horse, helped by Miguel.

"What's happened?" he asked, running up to them.

"_Patrón_, Zorro— he attacked the men; I managed to get to a horse, but..." Pablo passed out and Diego helped Miguel keep him from hitting the ground.

"Let's get him inside," Diego said, stunned by Pablo's assertion that Zorro attacked them. They got him inside to the sofa, where Diego started looking at his wounds. Maria came running out. He told her to bring some bandages, before turning back to Miguel. "Get as many men together as you can. Send someone to the cuartel to get the lancers. Have someone load the wagon with blankets and medical supplies, we may need them." He closed his eyes for a moment, in the certainty that they would do no good. "Hurry."

Miguel ran out the door, while Diego took care of Pablo's wounds. A couple more _vaqueros_ came in and Diego left them with Pablo while he went and got one of his father's swords, since there was no way for him to get down to the cave, and secret or no, he wasn't going out tonight without a sword.

Pablo had managed to tell Miguel exactly where the men had been attacked. Diego mounted Esperanza and rode with the men to face the unknown.

***

It was late afternoon when Diego was able to return home for more than a few minutes, and he was feeling very sick and very tired and wishing he could put everything out of his mind. He hoped that he would never live through another day such as this one again, and never before had he wished so strongly for the presence of his father and Felipe.

His feelings of foreboding had been right. No one had been left alive. Like the bandits of the previous day, they were all marked with Z's carved into their flesh. However, now Diego realized that whoever did this was either trying to frame Zorro or trying to use him to cover their own activities. It was almost unbelievable: three men dead and one man wounded now and just before this four men killed. Why was this happening? 

Mendoza had come bringing with him Padre Benites and a group of lancers. Diego told them what Pablo had said but added that he thought it more likely that someone was trying to take advantage of Zorro's disappearance, an idea that Mendoza seemed to agree with. It was too dark to be able to track anything. There had been no need to make any more than a cursory examination of the bodies. It was the same as before. They were carefully loaded on the wagons, and Padre Benites rode with them. 

Realizing that there was nothing more that he could do at the site, Diego had returned with a couple of men to inform the families, a duty he wished more than anything he could have avoided, but he did it as gently as he could and tried not to think about how much better his father would have done it. Or how reassuring his presence would have been. Diego had been hiding behind a mask too long to have earned the respect of the _vaqueros_ beyond his doctoring skills. 

The fact that it was Saturday meant they'd need to have the burial in the afternoon. Diego delegated as much of the work as he decently could, so that once the sun had risen he could return and see what he could discover for himself, and that's when he missed Felipe the most. The young man had become nearly as good a tracker as himself, and it would have been good to have a second pair of eyes and someone he could trust.

He hadn't been surprised to see a trail leading back towards Diablo Canyon. He had however been surprised to see Mendoza and some lancers already there, as well as evidence of yet another explosion, centered on the rock slide. Mendoza held a torn piece of black silk in his hands.

"Do you know what happened here, Sergeant?" he asked.

"Not really. Some of the lancers were told about some red sparks in the sky and some others about an explosion, so we came. I don't know what to make of this though. Do you, Don Diego?"

"I'm afraid not, Sergeant. I wish I did," he said.

Looking around didn't make anything clearer to him. He couldn't look for long; he had other responsibilities. Diego just managed as the rest of the day became a blur as exhaustion started catching up with him. Almost mechanically he did everything he was supposed to, everything his father would expect him to. Victoria had heard the news and came for the funerals. While he welcomed her presence, he was a bit concerned for her safety and insisted that she not go back alone. She refused his offer to escort her as she said he looked exhausted, so he got Miguel to see that she made it home safely.

Almost asleep on his feet, Diego made his way to his bedroom. He barely had the energy to change into a nightshirt before collapsing into his bed. Tired though he was, his mind was still restless.

For a long while, he replayed in his mind everything he had seen and done for the past couple of days. Over and over, he imagined how he might have done things differently, how he could have done things better, more particularly how his father would have handled things.

He rubbed his sore, dry eyes, trying to wipe away the images of the families of the _vaqueros_ but it was no use. Worst of all were the blank, uncomprehending looks of the children who didn't realize their father wouldn't be coming home. They only knew that something was very wrong and Diego was haunted by the idea that they would think Zorro did it.

As he finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep, his last waking thoughts were about how much he felt like a failure. Someone was pretending to be Zorro, to be him, and had killed men that were under his charge, men for whom he was responsible, and he had failed them. He had failed their families. He had failed his father. He felt he had failed everyone and couldn't help but wonder who else might yet be hurt or worse because of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not Catholic, and I don't know much about funeral rituals in Spanish California, but the brief research I did indicated that funerals tended to happen quickly and usually not on Sunday, which is why I have the burials happen that afternoon and not just because it makes things tougher on Diego. So please forgive any lapses there, though the show itself played fast and loose with history all the time to the point that whenever I start stressing out over the fact that I can't find specific historical information I tell myself, "if the show didn't care, why should I?"
> 
> For a little more of the backstory, I named Diego's great-grandfather Alejandro with the idea that Diego's father was named after him. Although it does not come into it, Sebastian and Everardo were twin brothers with Sebastian being the elder of the two. Teodoro was 5 years younger than them. And this is actually the same family background I use in all my stories, removing the supernatural callings for the non-supernatural stories obviously. I actually have quite a lot of backstory information and timelines that I use for all my stories, much of which never makes it into the story, but I find helpful for context.
> 
> Also the last three paragraphs of the chapter were written by my husband (who often acts as beta reader and occasional collaborator with me).


	11. Chapter 10 - Blood and Wine

That same day, Boris rode into town around lunch time, looking for news. He was pleased to hear that the news of "Zorro's" attack had already hit town. People were edgy but not overly frightened, which was all to the good, as Dracula hadn't wanted to cause a general panic— at least not yet. They were traveling heavily armed and in groups, but they weren't yet hiding in their homes or starting large scale defenses.

The tavern was, as in so many other towns, the center for news and gossip, and the people who came in were hungry for news but would as easily listen to speculation. Boris was not naturally friendly, but he could play the game when necessary and thus, spent his time making the acquaintance of the likeliest men who came into the tavern. And as a newcomer to the area, he asked the right questions and listened attentively to the answers, told a few careful tales of strange things he or his master had seen, as well as buying as many drinks as he could reasonably get away with.

One very curious thing he noticed was that all talk of Zorro ceased the moment Victoria neared any of the tables. He had a hard time determining if it was from respect for her feelings or fear of her temper. People seemed to speak of both in lowered voices.

After lunch, he saw Victoria leaving the tavern to head to the de la Vega residence, at least according to one of the girls who worked in the tavern. He'd been watching her, trying to determine just what she might know or not know, but he didn't quite have the skill of his master at sensing what people were feeling or thinking. However, it was obvious that she worried about de la Vega, which was no surprise. He was reasonably sure she'd be back by evening, which was more critical for Dracula's purposes.

Conversation was more free once Victoria was out of the way, and it was much more useful to him. People of all classes seemed to be in awe of Zorro and fearful about his possible death. It was easy to work on that fear, nothing direct, just a hint or two. Zorro's anonymity in some ways could be as easily used against him as for him.

By the time siesta came around, Boris felt as if he'd accomplished all he'd set out to do. He'd encouraged more than a few rumors as well as gathered valuable information to aid in Dracula's evening plans . He knew about the reactions to the de la Vega _vaqueros_ deaths, as well as their burials that afternoon. He'd learned about most of the nearby _ranchos_ and the leading families and what they would or would not do. This was a strangely passive community. Good for easy prey, not so satisfactory for a good fight. Apparently, they'd gotten too used to having a hero to ever be in a hurry to defend themselves. Pleased with his day, Boris returned to the hacienda. 

Checking with the men to see if anyone had approached during the day, he was interested that so far there had been no sign of anyone, except some lancers who had ridden by in the distance. It didn't make him overconfident. Solomon had been tracking him for some time, and he knew that Serghei hadn't thrown him too far off the track. While not enjoying being pursued, Boris could not help but admire the tenacity of the man who'd been tracking him so relentlessly and ruthlessly. It was rare to meet such skill and dedication.

He thought Dracula was a little too casual about the danger, just because Boris was his primary target. His master seemed to have forgotten that the one near miss in South America when Boris's own brother Bela had been killed, where it was clear that he not only considered Dracula an equal target but also knew exactly _what_ he was hunting as well. 

Boris couldn't help but be concerned that they might be either moving too slowly or not properly prepared for attack. He certainly believed it would be a mistake to concentrate too much on trying to get the book from de la Vega. He still didn't understand exactly why Dracula wanted it so badly, but then magic had never been his field of interest. That was for the other part of the family and Dracula to worry about. His job was to worry about their security.

Before sunset, he rechecked the perimeter of the area and checked that the exit to the underground cave was secure. As the sun was starting to set, he got the coach ready since that was what Dracula wanted to take into town this evening. The coach would be handy if they could find two more young women to add to the household. 

Young female vampires were always good watchdogs. Amateur monster hunters usually succumbed easily to their wiles, and while Dracula enjoyed the company, he never got so attached that he'd miss them if a more experienced hunter took them out. They were easily replaced.

Just after sunset, Boris went down to the cavern. Dracula was watching his latest vampire. She knelt on the floor, in her hands she clutched a large rabbit which she was messily draining. Briefly she glared at Boris, blood dripping down her chin. She let out a low growl, clearly wary of this man who was not her master but went on feeding.

Dracula glanced back at Boris. "It wouldn't do to leave her here hungry. At least not until I'm sure she understands not to feed on our men. She has a fine fighting spirit; she's going to do quite nicely," he said.

He then turned back to her, lifted her chin and wiped a portion of the blood away from her lips with his thumb. "I know it isn't as good as human," Dracula said softly as he licked the traces of blood from his thumb. "Still it suffices and I promise you will get your chance at better. Stay here until I return," he commanded her.

She nodded submissively, then returned to her rabbit.

Dracula turned to Boris. "Now let's see what we can find in the pueblo, shall we?"

***

Dracula had the ability to command the attention of the whole room with a simple gesture, and he used it to his advantage when he entered the tavern, which was certainly more crowded this evening than Boris had described it being in the afternoon. That was all the better. Some _caballeros_ who had obviously heard about him and his relationship to the de la Vegas, however distant, made it a point to introduce themselves. Blood ties seemed to be all they required. He smiled thinly. Everything was about blood in the end. He just put it to better uses.

Politely accepting their introductions and diplomatically answering their questions, he then as easily excused himself to a table in the back of the room, preferring to watch than interact with people he saw as little more than prey. It was ironic; Boris was better at playing nice with people, while Dracula was better at analyzing their weaknesses. Señorita Escalante was by far the most interesting person in the room, so very much alive, but as she would be his key to Diego de la Vega, he had to resist the urge to sink his teeth into her and instead try to learn all he could from her before tomorrow's maneuvers.

He started by ordering a bottle of her best wine. While he never drank wine, he could when called upon make it seem as if he did, but he'd also realized that as long as he paid and paid well, no one particularly cared about those drinking habits. He studied Victoria as she brought the bottle to him. Her eyes were slightly red, but it didn't seem that she had been crying or at least not much.

"I heard there was some kind of trouble on the de la Vega lands today," he said, putting a bare modicum of sympathy in his voice.

She looked at him a little suspiciously as she opened the bottle. "Yes, three of their _vaqueros_ were killed." She poured a glass.

"A pity," he said. "Is that why he isn't here this evening?" He put down enough coins on the table to pay for the bottle twice.

"Why do you want to know?" Victoria asked, ignoring the coins.

Dracula replied in an almost indifferent tone, "No particular reason. I had the impression that he spent a great deal of time here, and I hoped to see him. I don't know much about the de la Vega family, and I want to find out more. Perhaps you could tell me what kind of a man Don Diego is."

"I'm busy," she said, brusquely, starting to move away.

"Not that busy; surely your staff can handle things," he said, this time adding some persuasion into his voice, simply to see how malleable she might be.

She wavered a little. He could see wariness in her expression, but there was also a curiosity that held her in place. "I suppose." She took a seat at the table. "What is it that you really want to know?"

Dracula ignored the question but focused on her. She was suspicious of him, but sometimes suspicion was more useful than trust. "I know that you are close to the de la Vega family. I could see it when I first entered your tavern. Tell me what you think of Don Diego."

Victoria hesitated for a long moment, reluctance clearly warring with his influence. Finally, she said, "He's a good friend, interested in the arts and sciences, probably one of the most well-educated men in all of California, and definitely the gentlest, most peaceable man I know." She stared at him, suspicion even more clear on her face. "Why are you interested in the de la Vegas? Is it really all about a book?"

Dracula cocked his head at an angle. She had a very strong will and a great deal of curiosity. "It is about more than a book," he said with partial honesty. The truth could often be handy in disguising the lies. "It's about family history." Before she could respond to that, he leaned forward and said softly, "Tell me about Zorro."

"Zorro?" she asked. He could tell she was going to be even more careful to tell him nothing that anyone else couldn't tell him. Even that told him more than she thought. "He fights for justice and protects the innocent. What else do you need to know?"

"Is it true that you don't know who he is?" he asked watching her reaction very carefully.

"No one knows who Zorro is," she said flatly.

That didn't precisely answer his question. He pressed a little further. "So many people are saying he's dead, but not you. Have you seen him since the rockslide?"

"No one has," she said. "I'm not so quick to jump to conclusions. He's not so easily killed."

He smiled slightly. "You have a lot of faith in your mysterious masked man."

There was an odd hesitation before Victoria replied, as if she really didn't want to answer this question truthfully. "Yes. He's never let anyone down."

Leaning closer, he said, "Even though he hides his identity?"

It was if the shutters had closed behind her eyes, and Victoria stood up. "I have to get back to work. Enjoy your wine," she said, ice in her voice. Picking up the coins, she went straight to the kitchen.

He watched her with a calculating expression. He'd have to be very cautious tomorrow night. Far more than he usually would. But the challenge would be interesting, and he still had time. For now though, he was finished with his business in the tavern.

Signaling to Boris, Dracula stood and made his way out of the tavern. Once they were outside, Boris said, "That was brief."

"I learned what I needed. Let's go."

They headed towards the coach, when Dracula suddenly stopped at the edge of town. He could hear voices. Feminine voices. He signaled Boris who continued on to the coach, while Dracula moved towards the sounds. There were two young peasant women walking together out of the pueblo.

One was saying to the other, "Teresa, why couldn't we wait for Joaquin? Those bandits could still be around."

"Don't be silly, Rosa; it's not like I have far to walk. Besides Joaquin was being ridiculous. He's not my husband yet."

Rosa's voice was plaintive. "But your father thought you'd be staying in town with me..."

Teresa was insistent. "No, Joaquin would just sit outside the window and make a scene. I want to go home."

Dracula approached them. "Good evening, señoritas."

Rosa jumped when she heard his voice. Teresa just looked at him with an air of calculation, taking in his rich clothes and cultured voice. "_Buenas noches_, señor," Teresa said with a friendly smile.

"All alone this evening?" he asked walking towards them.

"_Sí_, señor," Teresa answered. "I'm going home."

"Alone?" he asked in apparent surprise. "That hardly sounds safe." He was very close to them now and all his focus was on Teresa. She was the one with the stronger will; if she agreed, the other would follow. "May I offer you a lift in my coach? I would be most distressed to discover anything had happened to two such young ladies because of my neglect."

Rosa, who stood a little behind Teresa, shook her head. "I don't think we should.... Besides I live so close..."

Teresa turned. "Why not?" she said with a toss of her head. "He looks respectable enough, and how often do we get to ride in comfort?"

At that moment, Boris arrived with the coach. He dropped down and opened the door. Teresa looked at Rosa who reluctantly got inside with her. Dracula stepped in last, and Boris resumed his seat and started the coach out of town. No one heard a single cry. Not even the man who followed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with Jonata and the rabbit was a kind of homage to the beginning of Monster Squad where one of the vampire brides was messily eating an opossum which was Monster Squad's homage to the geographically inaccurate use of them in the Bela Lugosi Dracula. However, I decided to draw the line at the geographically inaccuracy (as opossums are also not native to California) and use a rabbit instead.
> 
> And for those who are interested in what kind of mental casting a writer might do for OCs, Boris, in my mind's eye, is Christopher Lee from the height of the Hammer Horror era.


	12. Chapter 11 - Truth Seekers

Diego remained seated in the church after everyone left, still exhausted by the events of the previous day and still lost in thoughts of failure, so he was startled when Padre Benites spoke to him.

"Is everything all right, Diego?"

"Padre?" Diego started. "Oh... yes... I was just doing some... thinking."

"In that case, my son, I'll leave you to your thoughts," Padre Benites said with a smile and turned to go.

"Actually, could you stay? I was hoping I could talk to you," Diego said somewhat sheepishly.

"Of course. Why don't we sit?" Padre Benites motioned to the front row of the church. "What is on your mind?"

Diego took a deep breath. He looked up at the ceiling for a long time as if expecting the right words to come down from heaven. Finally, he looked the padre in the eye and said, "I feel like... like I've... let down everyone... like..."

"Come now, Diego..."

"No, Padre," Diego interrupted. "I've tried so hard to take care of everything and everyone, to do all that is expected of me from my father, from the _caballeros_, from the..." Diego started to say _vaqueros_ but faltered at the word. "I feel like I'm not up to the task... anymore. I... I don't know... I don't know what to do."

"Diego, all you have to do is be exactly the man you are."

Diego found that almost impossible to believe. "Padre, that is very kind of you to say but..."

"No," the padre said with a firmness that took Diego by surprise. "I'm not being kind. I'm telling you the truth. Listen to me. You, Diego, are a good man and I don't say that lightly." Diego opened his mouth to object, but Padre Benites silenced him with a wave of his hand. "You are the best man I've ever known. You are intelligent, kind, generous; you truly care about the people of this pueblo_,_ and you take too much on yourself. I understand that you are upset about what happened to the _vaqueros_, but that was not your fault."

"I knew there was something dangerous in the area. I should have had them be more prepared. I should have been able to stop what happened. I should have been able to save them. I should have been able to do... something," Diego said.

"My son, you have already done so much... more than the people of this pueblo know."

Diego sat upright, his eyes widened a little. "Padre?" he asked searchingly, trying to discern exactly what he was hearing.

"You've been blessed with an abundance of gifts and talents. They aren't the reason you're a good man; you're a good man because of what you choose to _do _with them. I'm old, and I've seen a lot of evil in my life, evil like what happened to the bandits and the _vaqueros_. Rest assured that my faith has been tested. It's men like you, Diego, that help that faith." Padre Benites placed a hand on Diego's shoulder. "I know you're tired. We all get tired. We all feel like we've failed people we care about sometimes. You... you carry a heavy burden. You've faced down evil time and time again, but you've chosen to keep fighting. _That_ is why you aren't a failure, my son."

Diego stared at the floor, taking in the padre's words. "Padre... I'm... I'm— there is an evil out there right now and... I don't know if I can stop it. I don't know if I can destroy evil, even if it is so good can prevail."

"I well imagine that young David was thinking something very much like that when he was facing Goliath. I wish I had the perfect answer, but I do know that you can't outfox every adversary."

Diego's mouth dropped open, as the full import of all the priest had been saying hit him. "Padre... are you... are you trying to tell me that..."

"I'm trying to tell you that when the time comes, you'll know what to do," Padre Benites said reassuringly as he rose to leave.

"Padre?"

"Yes, Diego?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I have faith."

Wishing his faith was quite as strong as Padre Benites, Diego nevertheless felt some of the hopelessness slip away. Slowly walking out of the church, he was lost in his reflections on their conversation, but he still managed to smile at Victoria when she approached him.

"Diego, are you all right?" she asked.

She seemed to be asking him that a lot lately, with good reason. He hadn't really been all right for some time, but he wasn't going to say that. "Yes, I'm fine. It's the lack of sleep. I'm not really used to it." He managed a wry smile that he knew didn't reach his eyes. He offered Victoria his arm as they turned to head toward the tavern. "I didn't expect you to be waiting outside the church. I was going to come see you."

"I couldn't be sure," she said. "And I was worried."

He stopped short. "Worried? About what's happened, or is it something new?"

"A little of both," she said after a minute. "Last night, Señor Dracula returned to the tavern. He asked about you... and Zorro. He was still polite, but I just don't trust him."

"Well, what did he want to know?" he asked.

"First he wanted to know what I thought about you, then what kind of man Zorro is and if I knew who he was," she said. "I'm not sure exactly what it is that he was after, but he left shortly after we talked."

"I see," Diego said, not sure that he did, though he wondered at Dracula asking about both his identities back to back, but it could be a coincidence. "What did you tell him?"

Victoria blushed a little, and he wondered why, as he couldn't think of anything she'd tell a virtual stranger that would be blush-worthy. "Not much," she finally said. "Just that you're a good man and a scholar, that Zorro defends our pueblo, and that no one knows who he is."

"That seems innocuous enough," Diego said slowly, "except of course for wanting to know Zorro's identity, but even innocent people might be curious about that."

"I know. I just don't trust him, and I don't think he means your family any good," Victoria said, stubbornly.

"We've had enough of that lately," he said. He saw Mendoza crossing the plaza towards them. He'd only now realized that he hadn't been in church. His exhaustion was taking a greater toll than he thought. "_Buenas dias_, Sergeant. What's wrong?"

"Too much, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "My men are still searching for whoever killed your men. And now it looks like Teresa Fuentes has eloped with Joaquin Modesto, and her father's furious, and I have to send a messenger to check the missions and find out for sure. I'm not sure what he expects me to do about it."

"Are you sure they eloped?" Diego asked. He hoped that was true, but it might be another disappearance like Jonata. And all these things started around the time of Dracula's arrival. It might be time to look more closely at the man.

"Pretty sure, but what do I know?" Mendoza said. "She was supposed to be staying with Rosa Nunez, but Rosa's not in town. She probably decided to go to her Aunt Consuela when Teresa eloped; it would have been on the way. I know I don't have time to do more than what I'm doing. If things keep up like this, I'm going to have to send for more help." He moved towards the alcalde's office.

Diego turned back towards Victoria. "I don't like this. It seems too much of a coincidence with everything that's been happening. Will you promise me to be careful and not go out alone at night?"

"Do you really think I'm in danger, Diego?" Victoria asked. They'd started walking back to the tavern.

Thinking about a ride to the Torres estate, it took Diego a moment to respond properly. "I don't know that you are specifically, but with everything that's happening, I'd feel better if you were cautious." He also thought he'd feel better if she were staying with him, but that was a dangerous thought of an entirely different kind. After all there was a certain safety in town, across from a cuartel full of soldiers. So far the danger seemed to be outside the pueblo, though he wished he knew for certain that Teresa had just eloped or where she'd last been seen. "So will you?"

"I will," she said. "What is it you've got planned?"

"What?" Diego asked, disconcerted.

"You're clearly planning to do something. I can tell by the look in your eye," Victoria said.

Diego tried to look innocent. "I just thought it might be a good idea to visit our new neighbor. He seems to want to see me." _And I want to see him._

"I'll go with you," Victoria said.

Why hadn't he expected this? "I don't think that's a good idea," he said. If he really were dangerous, it wouldn't be safe to take her with him.

Victoria was not going to be easily dissuaded. "Why not? It's broad daylight on a Sunday. We let people know where we're going. Besides, I'm curious about them too, and you still look tired. You could use an extra set of eyes."

"You're determined, aren't you?" Diego said, resignation in his tone. He knew he wouldn't win, and if he did, he suspected she might do something on her own, and that might prove even more dangerous than having her with him.

"Definitely. Give me time to change, and we can go," she said.

It wasn't too long before the two of them were riding in the general direction of the old Torres estate. Diego still wasn't convinced that it was a good idea for Victoria to go with him, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying her company. He wasn't even sure why he was so suspicious of Dracula, beyond the coincidence of timing. 

He and Victoria rode along in companionable silence. He was watching her out of the corners of his eyes, but he made sure not to neglect the landscape.

Finally, Victoria spoke, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Diego, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" he asked, concerned about her tone.

"Well, no one's told me directly, but there are some disturbing rumors going around," Victoria said, hesitantly.

"About Zorro?" Diego asked. It would have to be about Zorro.

"Yes, I got Pilar and Alicia to find out for me," Victoria said. "Some people are saying that he's..."

"The man who killed the _vaqueros_ and the bandits?" Diego interrupted. "I've heard that." _I'm haunted by it_.

"No, it's worse than that, or rather, I'd say more unbelievable than that," Victoria said.

"What's more unbelievable than that?" he asked. What could be worse than Zorro being accused of vicious murder?

"That he's come back from the dead as some kind of... unnatural thing seeking vengeance on the living," Victoria said.

"A revenant?" he said incredulously. That _was_ worse.

"I suppose so," she said.

This was becoming more nightmarish all the time. Bad enough to be thought a murderer, but now some kind of unnatural thing. And nightmare was the word, as he remembered the Zorro who had haunted his own. Diego asked, "Do they really believe it? Or is it more like ghost stories around the fire?"

Victoria looked doubtful. "I couldn't say, except that they wouldn't say them in front of me." Her tone of voice more than implied what she would have said if they'd dared. "I suspect that man Boris of, if not starting them, at least giving them a good shove forward."

"I see." Diego remembered the brief conversation he'd had with Boris and also was reminded of the time that the townspeople had believed a family to be involved in witchcraft on the basis of one man's thoughtless suspicions. He hated to think what a man could do deliberately.

Victoria was watching Diego as she spoke, "Zorro, the _real _Zorro," she said, "is going to need to be very careful for a while. People are frightened. And someone seems to be trying to blame him."

"You're right," Diego said, wondering once again if she really suspected or if he was reading more into what she was saying than she meant. He would have to be very cautious in his investigation. He also wondered why he didn't just ask her, but then he didn't think he could handle a bad reaction on top of everything else that was happening.

Just then, Diego started hearing some odd birdcalls. Realistic, but they weren't the sounds of any birds native to the area. He looked around as casually as possible, but he couldn't see anything or anyone. He was now really starting to regret bringing Victoria with him. However, he decided the best thing to do at the moment was pretend that nothing was amiss. Perhaps, Dracula was just wary of visitors. They approached the hacienda, and there was still no sign of anyone. Dismounting they went to the front door. Diego wasn't surprised to see Boris open the door almost immediately. He was sure the signals had been warnings of their arrival. 

Boris invited them in very politely, but when Diego inquired after Dracula, he told them that he was indisposed and unable to receive visitors.

"That's a pity," Diego said politely. "Though I'm not a doctor, I do have some experience with medicine if you need any help."

Immediately shaking his head, Boris said, "There's no need. I'm very familiar with his illness. When he has one of his spells, there's nothing to do but put him to bed, and his illness can sometimes overcome him very quickly," Boris turned toward Victoria, "which is why he had to leave your tavern so quickly last evening, Señorita Escalante."

Victoria smiled thinly. "I'm glad to know it wasn't the wine."

Boris returned the smile, though his had that mocking quality Diego had already noticed and disliked. "No, wine never bothers him. He simply needed to get home quickly, and even then he was up most of the night with his illness, and as he's finally sleeping now, I don't dare disturb him. I know he will be sorry to have missed your visit."

"I understand. It must be very trying, handling this all alone," Diego said. 

Victoria was standing a little behind looking around casually. Diego half-watched her out of the corner of his eye as he talked to Boris, and Boris watched her as well, with what looked like more of an eye to see what she did than any particular interest in her.

"I do my best," Boris said, "and I'm used to his spells. Do you have any particular message for him? I know he's quite anxious about the book."

Diego was thoroughly tired of hearing about Dracula's desire for the book. He was starting to think it was probably a good thing he didn't know where it was, though he was starting to wonder exactly what made it so important. "I did start looking through my great grandfather's records, but there was no specific mention, and of course, other events took precedence," Diego said, bitterness in his voice.

"Ah, yes, I had heard that you had some difficulties," Boris said.

_Difficulties?_ Diego had to stamp down on his anger. "That is an understatement. Three men were killed and another injured."

Victoria was suddenly back by his side and putting a gentle hand on his arm. Diego took a deep breath and managed to regain control as he looked at Boris.

"That is terrible," Boris said flatly. "Do you know who is responsible?"

Disgusted with the indifferent tone, Diego wasn't about to give him a hint of his own opinions. Surely he'd heard all the rumors; he'd probably started half of them. No need to let him know his own opinions. "Not yet," he said, then in a tone of concern added, "but you should be careful out here. You're pretty isolated, and it seems like whoever it was may still be in the area."

Boris seemed to be fighting another smile, as he said, "Thank you for the warning. We are usually good at defending ourselves."

"Well, whoever's been doing this seems to be very good at attacking," Victoria said. "You should be doubly cautious."

As Victoria spoke, Diego managed to regain a modicum of control over his dislike and anger, but he felt they would discover no more there. Not out in the open. But there was something odd about this place. Something that needed closer looking into. "Well, we won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you have much to do," he said in clipped tones.

Boris smiled easily. "Yes, I do, but I will be sure to tell my master you came."

"_Gracias_," Diego said.

"_Adios_," Victoria said.

Boris walked them to the door. Diego looked curiously around the courtyard before mounting Esperanza. While there was no sign of anyone, he had the strongest sensation of being watched. He kept silent as he and Victoria started riding away.

Once they were getting out of sight of the hacienda, Victoria said, "I wonder why he acts like he's the only one there other than his master."

Diego looked at her in surprise. "You noticed, too."

"Of course, someone else has to be helping keeping the place clean. It's been swept out fairly recently; I very much doubt they hired anyone to get it into that kind of order before they arrived. We would have heard something of that. And in any event, if Dracula really is subject to fits of illness, he'd have to have someone else to help take care of things, run errands and the like."

"There is something very strange there," Diego replied, almost absently.

He was thinking that it might be a good idea for Zorro to come back after dark and take a closer look, though he didn't particularly like the idea. He had hoped to let Zorro rest beneath the rocks in Diablo Canyon, but someone wasn't letting that happen, and the more he thought about it the more he suspected that Dracula was behind it all. He just really wished he understood why. There were so many things he didn't understand. No book could be so important, and if that was all Dracula wanted, why couldn't he wait until Diego had more of a chance to look for it? What was the point of killing people and trying to blame Zorro for it? Did Dracula know he was Zorro, or was this a separate scheme? He had to find out what was going on.

Despite his thoughts going through his head, he kept a watch on the way back though he still didn't manage to spot anyone. He was relieved that he and Victoria made it back to Los Angeles without incident. After returning her horse to the livery stable, they walked back over to the tavern together.

"You've been very quiet," he said, as she unlocked the door and let them inside.

"No," she replied, closing the door. "You were very quiet. I was simply not interrupting whatever was going on inside."

Diego looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I've been poor company today."

She shook her head. "Not really. I didn't mind, and it was a pleasant ride."

"You are too kind," he replied. "Thank you for coming with me. You helped me keep a cool head when I needed it."

"I'm only repaying the favor. You've done that for me far more often," Victoria said.

"I'm rather fond of your temper," Diego said. "Except when it's directed at me."

"Oh, I don't get mad at you _that _often," Victoria said, with a smile. "You're usually so unflappable it's too much work."

"I'm glad you think so," Diego said. Then with a slight sigh added, "I need to be heading home." Diego hated having to leave, but if Zorro was going to ride that night it would take careful planning, and he would need to get some sleep before then.

Victoria sighed a little herself. "I was hoping you could stay longer, but I understand." 

"I wish I could too." Without thinking, Diego lifted his hand to her face, almost but not quite caressing her cheek. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he dropped his hand. Victoria looked slightly flushed as he lifted her hand for a kiss instead.

"Until tomorrow, Victoria," Diego said.

"Until tomorrow, Diego." She looked at him as if she wanted to say something else but instead turned to go into her kitchen.

Watching her until she disappeared from sight, Diego headed quickly back towards home, busily making plans for the evening's excursion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a chapter that ended up getting altered right before its original posting at FFN, as it was becoming clear that Diego needed to be reacting a bit more strongly to events. The scene with Padre Benites was written mostly by my husband who had the clearest idea of what kind of conversation it should be. I'd put him as a co-creator here, but he doesn't have an AO3 account.


	13. Chapter 12 - The Fox and the Hunter

It was three hours after sundown when Zorro headed for Dracula's hacienda. While he was reluctant to don the mask especially in light of the rumors and suspicions about Zorro, he hoped that with his precautions he'd be able to investigate invisibly and quickly, since this was meant to be nothing more than reconnaissance. However, if he was spotted, he'd rather not let them know exactly who was interested in them. 

For tonight's expedition, instead of using Toronado's usual tack, he put him in all black as well. He'd also managed to find the spy glass that he'd once used for night vision. He had the feeling he'd need it tonight. It took longer than he expected to reach his destination. He actually managed to spot a couple of lookouts on his way there, and he'd had to dismount from Toronado and make his way on foot. As he approached, he could hear a couple of horses going on the road away from the hacienda, but he didn't get a chance to see them.

When he reached the edge of the grounds, he pulled out his spyglass to try to look around. Only a couple of the windows of the hacienda showed any signs of light, and he saw a man in the courtyard, who clearly wasn't either Boris or Dracula. He'd been right that Boris hadn't been the only other one there. As the man entered the house, Zorro wondered just how many men Dracula had.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand up as he heard just the lightest of scrapes behind him. Spinning quickly, he narrowly avoided taking a knife to the back. The man had been incredibly quiet, and he knew how to fight. It took Zorro longer than he expected to subdue him, and though the fight was mostly silent, he couldn't help but feel that reinforcements would arrive soon. 

He rose from the ground and looked around, senses keyed up to his surroundings. He didn't see anything as he approached the house. Dropping over the wall in the back, he moved cautiously. Suddenly, he froze as he heard a very feminine giggle nearby. He spun around but saw nothing but a strange fog flowing over and around the ground. It made no sense as the night was otherwise clear. As the thought flitted through his head, he heard more laughter in another direction, but still saw nothing but the fog.

Then he heard a voice behind him. "A fox in the hen house." He turned to see a woman in white stepping out of the fog. No not quite that; the fog seemed to disappear as she appeared. He was so baffled by the phenomenon that it took him a moment to recognize Teresa. She looked pale. He stepped back.

"Not quite in the hen house," another voice broke in.

Turning his head he saw another young woman in white that he thought might be Jonata. The fog behind her had vanished as well.

"Is that important?" a third voice asked. He looked and saw Rosa, in white as the others and just as pale, and the last of the fog was gone.

"Not when it's such a handsome fox," Teresa said, "and the hens have teeth."

He moved back so that he could see the three women at once. They were behaving very oddly. He spoke to Teresa first.

"Your father's worried about you. He thought you'd eloped with Joaquin," he said.

Teresa laughed, and the other two joined in. "Joaquin?"

"Was he the one from earlier?" Jonata asked.

"Yes," Rosa said.

"Not enough blood in him," Jonata said.

"He'd been wounded first," Rosa said. "Boris was careless with him. It wasn't fair."

"This one is whole enough," Teresa said, her gaze running blatantly up and down Zorro's tall frame. "Even if we have to share again."

Zorro was both confused and horrified by this conversation. "Teresa, Rosa, Jonata. What has happened to you?"

"We've been freed," Jonata said. 

"Freed from what?" Zorro asked, trying to keep the ladies talking so he could gain some time, though for what he wasn't sure.

"From life," Rosa said.

"And death," Jonata followed, "And I'm still hungry." She licked her lips slightly.

"Yes, but I'd rather play with him first," Teresa said, walking closer to him. "Joaquin didn't last long, and Dracula won't let us play with the others. He didn't say anything about the Fox."

Strongly reminded of his last nightmare with Victoria, Zorro backed up a few steps. He didn't want to hurt them, since they were behaving almost as if they were in a trance. But there was something strange about their eyes and their mouths; the eyes glowed red in the moonlight and their canine teeth seemed unnaturally sharp when they smiled, and the smiles themselves were strained and frightening. With the fog and their strange appearances, he wondered if this were just another nightmare, but it felt too real.

"Why do you get to go first?" Rosa asked with a pout.

Teresa kept her eyes locked on Zorro. "I saw him first."

"It's my turn," Rosa insisted.

Zorro tried to find the right words to reach them. "Señoritas, please. You're not well. I think you need help."

"No, Zorro, we don't need help," Jonata said, coming closer. "We just need you."

"It doesn't have to hurt," Rosa added.

"If you don't resist, it could be quite pleasant," Teresa said.

Starting to feel trapped and not wanting to hurt them, Zorro started backing towards the garden wall, as the three women continued forward. He felt a strange heaviness in his limbs, like he was being drugged or mesmerized. No, he was not going to lose his will again. Not after last time. Never again. He shook his head fiercely to try to clear it; hands in tight fists by his side. His back hit the wall, and Rosa reached for him. Pushing at the hands that were grabbing at him, he was shocked at how difficult it was. How could she be so strong? Had he actually been drugged?

Rosa was pulling him down, her mouth open, aimed for his throat, when there was a heavy thunk from behind her, and her body was thrown forward against him. Catching her, Zorro saw a large wooden stake protruding from her back. Looking past her, he saw a thin ascetic man of around sixty, holding a crossbow. After a few moments of frozen incredulity, Zorro realized he knew the man. 

It was Solomon Kendall, elder brother of his old teacher, Sir Edmund Kendall. He'd only met him once, but Solomon Kendall was not a man who was easily forgotten, especially not since he'd had the privilege of seeing Sir Edmund and Solomon sparring with one another. The two had been almost evenly matched, but while Sir Edmund took pleasure in the fight, Solomon fought like a man for whom every challenge was life and death. Diego had been quite intimidated by him then, and he found him terrifying now. As he stood there the words his grandfather's ghost had spoken in his last nightmare came to him:_ "You trusted his brother... trust him...."_

He didn't have much time to reflect on this as the other two women attacked the newcomer before he could reload. Grabbing Teresa from behind, Zorro pulled her away from Solomon and then, as she twisted around in his arms, found himself under attack, her nails digging into his skin, drawing blood, the sight of which seemed to make her even more frenzied. Strong as she was, he had a hard time overcoming his natural protective instincts and kept trying his best to subdue her rather than hurt her. But when she forced him back onto the ground and he found himself struggling to keep her teeth from his throat, thoughts of chivalry began to vanish.

Zorro fought to get enough leverage with his legs to throw her off, but she straddled him high up on his chest and was bearing down hard. She was slowly drawing nearer his throat and he didn't know how much longer his trembling arms could keep her back. Just when he felt his limbs might fail him, Teresa's head jerked back, her eyes went wide, and her grip on him relaxed. Her mouth moved dumbly for a moment before she collapsed on top of him.

Horrified, Zorro scrambled out from underneath her. There stood Solomon Kendall, blood dripping from his arm. "You will have to do better than that, Diego de la Vega," he said and punctuated the sentence by using the heel of his boot to drive the stake the rest of the way through the girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it might be clear that I find Diego infinitely more interesting than his alter ego, so I deliberately structured this story to minimize Zorro's actual appearance. However, while I generally find Zorro scenes more difficult to write, I actually had a lot of fun with the one with Zorro and the vampire ladies, especially Zorro's compassion and chivalry getting him into trouble rather than desire. And Zorro's horror of losing his will comes from Diego's having been inadvertently hypnotized and forced to become a thief by a traveling crook in the episode, "Wicked, Wicked Zorro". 
> 
> Additionally, I really didn't want to use a member of the Van Helsing family in this story, but I felt that Diego really needed to meet an experienced vampire hunter of some kind, one preferably he had met before even if he didn't know what he did. One who could give him practical information about vampires' strengths and weaknesses, and well, save his life here because I just didn't see Zorro being able to stake any of the vampire ladies even if he knew what he needed to do. Also, since Sir Edmund Kendall is my favorite guest character in my absolutely favorite episode "Master and Pupil", so I thought a slightly elder brother would be a good choice.
> 
> Solomon Kendall was in large part inspired by (and named after) my favorite Robert E. Howard character, Solomon Kane, a very driven man who faced all sorts of supernatural horror, and in another part inspired by Peter Cushing's Van Helsing from the Hammer Dracula movies. In my head, he definitely is played by Cushing, just as Boris is Christopher Lee. Under the circumstances, honestly, how could he not be? Also, my husband really got into the character of Solomon as I was developing him and was eager to write some of his scenes, and as I'm not really an action girl, I was glad to let him.
> 
> Final note, vampires being able to transform into mist/fog comes from the novel Dracula.


	14. Chapter 13 - Crossing Lines

Dracula had been watching Victoria from the upper window of the kitchen for some time. She moved carefully almost as if she could sense someone, even as she locked the doors and dowsed the candles in the main room after the last of her customers had left. Carefully, Dracula sent a creeping mist into the kitchen which swallowed up the remaining light as Victoria walked back through the curtain. She froze as she was hit with the supernatural chill, and the candle she was holding went out. 

She wrapped her arms around herself and started towards the back door as if to check that it was closed and locked. That's when Dracula dropped from his perch, landing silently behind her. When Victoria turned, she saw him.

"Zorro," she said with a smile that seemed to fade as she stared into his eyes.

Dracula turned the full force of his hypnotic power on her. "Yes, Victoria," he said in a low voice as their gazes remained locked.

She stepped forward but stopped as if confused. He imagined that Zorro must have some pet name for her that he didn't know, but it wasn't critical. Dracula never looked away, and as she fell further under his spell, her eyes lost focus. Once he was sure he had her, Dracula stepped forward and lifted her hand. He hadn't bothered putting on the gloves, and it took him but a moment to scratch her wrist and bring it to his mouth. He had no intention of leaving the more obvious marks, but he needed to know the taste of her blood. It would make her easier to control. 

He dropped her hand and spoke. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," she said, still unfocused.

"Good. Do you know me?" he asked.

She hesitated a long while before answering, "Zorro?" It was definitely a question.

"Am I anyone else?" he asked. He needed to be sure of what she knew.

She hesitated even longer, her eyes starting to focus on him. He could feel her fighting him. "I thought Zorro was Diego, but _you_ aren't Diego."

He worked on strengthening the spell, and her resistance faded slightly. "No, but I am _Zorro_," he said with conviction. "Are you worried about Diego de la Vega?" If she was, this would be the best way to influence her.

"Yes," she said. "Very much so."

"Excellent," he said, leaning much closer to her. "Now listen carefully. The de la Vegas have a secret. A box containing a very special book. A very dangerous book. As long as the de la Vegas have it, they will be in danger. Diego must have an idea about where to find it. You will get him to tell you by whatever means necessary. The book is the key to his safety. Do you understand?"

Victoria spoke slowly and reluctantly. "Yes, I understand."

"Now go to your room and go to sleep just as you always do. You will forget everything that I have told you; you will only know that the book is important and that Diego's safety depends on finding it. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said.

"Now obey," he said.

"Yes." Victoria walked past him into the main room. Dracula watched as she went up the stairs and entered one of the rooms before leaving by the kitchen window.

***

Zorro still stared at Solomon Kendall in shock both at what he'd done and the fact that he knew his name. 

Solomon looked him up and down for a moment before saying, "Do you think I don't recognize my brother's style or I'd forget his best student was Diego de la Vega? I've known the family too long. No mask could hide any of that from me." He slung his crossbow over his back.

Looking around sickly at the bodies on the ground, Zorro finally managed to pull himself together enough to speak. "Why?"

Solomon looked him directly in the eye. "They were vampires."

"Vampires?" Despite what he'd seen, the strength they'd shown, Diego was having a hard time accepting the evidence of his own eyes.

"Do you doubt it? They would have had you if I hadn't come." Solomon looked back at the house and put one hand to his wounded arm. "We need to leave. The one I want isn't here, and I don't think you're ready for another fight." 

Zorro agreed about that last bit. He wondered why they hadn't seen any of the men yet and then realized that it was probable that they expected the women to have taken care of the intruders. He offered a supporting arm to the other man and helped him over the wall before leading him over to a concealed area far enough from the hacienda that they wouldn't be easily spotted by watchers. Zorro bound Solomon's wounded arm as they sat there. The man seemed to carry an arsenal under his long coat as well as wearing a padded leather waistcoat which was scored in a dozen places. Though he was about the same height as Sir Edmund, Solomon resembled his brother very little, being lean and spare, with sharp cheekbones and a head of dark hair with only the barest touches of gray.

As he finished tying off the improvised bandage, Zorro said, "I don't understand." 

Solomon's icy blue eyes glittered in the moonlight. As he pulled his coat back on, he said, "I think it's more that you don't want to understand. There are ungodly forces all over the world. There is magic, and there are creatures spawned by evil. Your family has often fought them. Your great-grandfather was one such. He gave up the life when he married. Your great uncle Teodoro took up the fight. I learned from him before he fell to the forces he had fought. Dracula is a vampire— a soulless demon— who transforms others into creatures like himself. His man Boris, well...he is another kind of hell-beast, who's specialized in killing the innocent. He's the one I've been hunting, but I won't let his master go either." Solomon's gaze swept over Zorro's costume. "Why do you wear the mask? It's a strange choice for a de la Vega, especially such a peaceful one."

"You know a great deal, considering we met once," Zorro said. With this man he didn't dare try to pretend he was mistaken about his identity even though he still wore the mask. And he was struck by a stray thought. "I'm not sure what to call you..."

"Just Solomon. Edmund was the knight and Richard the baron. I have no claim on any title, and out of respect for my father rarely use the family name. It is safer for them all." Solomon fell silent for a moment during which Zorro could see the realization dawn in his eyes. "And that is why you wear the mask, is it not?"

Zorro nodded. "It is easier to fight freely when your enemies don't know who your family is." He cringed internally when he thought about the added danger Victoria had faced because he couldn't keep away from her. Her not knowing hadn't really kept her safe. "The local leaders have spent more time exploiting than protecting the people." He realized he'd let himself get sidetracked. "Why did you have to kill them?"

"They were already dead," Solomon said. "I just made sure their bodies could do no further damage. That is the nature of the curse." He looked him in the eye. "Edmund and I kept in touch. He was very impressed with your skills, but he thought you were too gentle to become a true fighter."

That did sound like something Sir Edmund would have said. "I believe there's more to fighting than killing," Zorro said, unhappily remembering refusing to kill the bounty hunter who later shot Sir Edmund. He regretted letting the man escape, but he wasn't sure that killing him would have been the right answer either.

"That is your weakness. There are fights where the only way is to kill. That is my life. You can't let the demons live. They will only kill and kill again," Solomon said with increasing emphasis. "They've already killed here, haven't they?"

Zorro thought of the bandits and the _vaqueros_ and Joaquin and even those three young women. "_Sí_. I think so." 

Solomon shook his own head slightly as if he couldn't believe Zorro's qualified answer but continued, "Dracula is after something specific. A part of a legacy entrusted to your grandfather, I believe."

"How..." Zorro started but then remembered the mention of him and his uncle in the letter referring to the trunk. "He's after a book. I think the title is _Libro magicae et occultis philosophia_. Are you familiar with it? Do you know why he wants it?"

Solomon looked grim. "I know of it. Is it safe?"

Zorro sighed. "In the sense that I have no idea where it is. Then, yes."

"You can't let him get the book."

"I don't intend to," Zorro insisted, frustrated about the lack of answers about why this book was so important.

Solomon sat up straighter as a thought seemed to strike him. "Dracula wasn't there with his fledglings. He's out. He could have gone to your hacienda. Is there anyone who'd invite him inside?"

Confused, Zorro said, "What? No, I don't think so."

"Is there anyone you care about? Your father or a wife or a child?" Solomon asked.

Zorro started. He hadn't thought of that. "My father and brother are out of town. And Victoria Escalante— well, no one knows that Diego loves her."

Solomon's gaze seemed to burn through him. "Are you sure? The demon is clever, and he loves to work through women."

Remembering how Dracula had looked at Victoria the night he'd arrived in Los Angeles, Zorro pushed himself up off the ground, saying, "No, I'm _not _sure, but I'm going to find out. Will you be all right?"

Solomon nodded. "Yes, I'm too old a fox to let a wound like this stop me. I have my own demon to track. I'll find you when I can. But keep that book safe no matter what."

"If I can find it." Zorro turned and headed away quietly, determined not to lead anyone directly to Solomon. Once he was far enough away, he whistled for Toronado and started riding for Los Angeles.

***

Dracula moved lightly over the roof until he was above the one lighted window. Putting on the black gloves, he waited until the light went out before moving to stare at the cuartel. Some soldiers were getting ready to start out on a patrol. He considered what his next move might be. He did want to make it nearly impossible for Zorro to show himself in Los Angeles, and what better time than now.

With a great leap he landed on the ground in the middle of the plaza. As he straightened to his full height, lightning twisting around him to make him more visible, he heard the soldiers voices calling out "Zorro," but he ignored them as he walked towards the sign at the edge of the pueblo where Malvado waited for him impatiently. He wanted them to truly believe in Zorro's unnatural return, but he had no intention of doing more than frightening them at the moment.

As he walked, the soldiers moved to block his way. He paid them no attention, until one reached to grab him. Dracula took hold of his arm and snapped it easily with a quick twist from a single hand. Another lancer stepped in front of him, sword raised to his chest. The young man's eyes widened in terror as the man he believed to be Zorro simply walked into it, allowing the metal to pass through him until was close enough to send the poor fellow flying back with a brutal swipe of the back of his hand.

The others watched horrified as he pulled out the blade and nonchalantly tossed it aside. It was painful, to be certain, but it would heal before he was clear of the _pueblo _and the effect it had on the lancers made it well worth it.

Yet another drew his pistol and with as much conviction as he could muster called to him, "Stop, Zorro!" It had no effect. "Stop or I'll fire!"

Dracula continued his relentless approach. When he had closed the gap, Dracula reached out with the speed of a snake, grabbed him by the throat with one hand and effortlessly hurled him into a nearby wall with such force that he bounced off and collapsed in an unconscious heap.

Then he was at the gate and mounting Malvado. Malvado reared back, as Dracula mock-saluted the remaining lancers. Channeling more lightning through him, he sent an arc of electricity to the fuse of some fireworks Boris had placed while he was in the tavern. A combination of sparks and smoke hit the air. He saw the lancers trying to hold shying horses and crying out in alarm, before he turned and started riding away into the night.

***

Zorro was riding at top speed, worried and still having a hard time believing any of the things he'd seen this night. He regretted leaving Solomon behind, but if he were correct, Victoria could be in very real danger. From the distance he saw what looked like lightning and fireworks close to the pueblo, and his alarm increased.

As he neared Los Angeles, he saw a horseman riding towards him. It was hard to distinguish anything in the moonlight, but as he neared, he realized that he was seeing a man dressed in Zorro's attire. He brought Toronado to a halt. The other rider did the same.

"Good evening, _Zorro_," the other said, and he recognized the voice of Dracula. 

"I like your tailor, but I'd prefer it if you showed a little more creativity in your style," Zorro said. "I've used fireworks before. And I've had impersonators before."

Dracula smiled. "Have you? Not one like me, I think."

"What have you done?"

Dracula took on an expression of feigned shock. "Me? No, no, no," as a sinister smile spread across his face. "What have _you_ done? You really shouldn't have let people think Zorro was dead. Now he's free from the grave." Dracula's teeth glinted in the moonlight. "Tell me, Zorro: how fast can you ride?"

"As fast as I need."

"I think you're going to need to ride very fast," Dracula said, looking over his shoulder.

Zorro followed his gaze. He could see lancers in the distance and wondered what Dracula had been doing in the pueblo. Once he was distracted Dracula's horse took off at a gallop. Zorro was torn, but watching the lancers heading in his direction and Dracula racing away, he decided to chase Dracula. He could only hope that Victoria was all right. He urged Toronado forward. 

Dracula rode like a man intimately familiar with the territory. Zorro was hard-pressed to keep up with him in the dark. The chase turned and twisted, and once they made it to a particularly isolated area, Zorro was startled to see what appeared to be lightning twisting around one of Dracula's arms. It arced out behind him and set off a small blast that he barely avoided being caught in. By the time he'd managed to regain control of Toronado, Dracula had disappeared entirely. Frustrated and thrown off-balance by the events of the night, he decided to head to the pueblo as he'd originally planned; in fact, he wished he hadn't followed Dracula at all, as he was worried about Victoria.

He worked his way back to the pueblo, avoiding the patrols that were still out and looking with more determination than he was used to. In fact the cuartel was a hive of activity as well, which meant that he had to be very cautious climbing up to Victoria's window. The window wasn't locked which made him nervous, but when he slipped inside, he found her sleeping soundly, apparently unharmed. 

He was relieved. After what he had seen earlier, he had to know that she was all right. Kneeling next to her bed, he watched her for a few minutes. Taking off a glove, he reached toward her face, but stopped before he touched her as she stirred a little in her sleep. Something seemed to be troubling her slightly, and he thought he heard her murmur his— _Diego's_— name.

Unsure of what to make of that and unwilling to wake her now that he knew she was unharmed, Zorro slipped back out the window and made his way back to the ground. Just as he was heading towards Toronado, a lancer spotted him, and after a cry of warning, it seemed like the majority of the garrison came pouring out to give chase. Leaping to Toronado's back, Zorro headed out of town at a gallop, the sound of musket fire behind him. The bullets passed by him closely as he fled.

What had Dracula done to stir them up so badly? He'd never seen such a determined chase from them. It took a bit of ingenuity to lose them and make his way back to the cave, where he stripped his blood-stained garments off after taking care of Toronado. He still was having difficulty understanding what had happened. Vampires— he knew very little about them other than they were supposed to drink blood; he'd always been more interested in science than superstition, which now seemed to have been a mistake. What kind of a man was Dracula to do what he did? And what kind of a man was Boris to serve him?

More than ever, Diego was sure he needed to discover that trunk, if only to be sure it was kept away from Dracula. He also needed to talk to Miguel to make sure that the _vaqueros_ kept a close watch on things. He wasn't sure what Dracula's next move would be, but he already knew that violence wasn't a problem for him. He also wasn't sure what he could do about it.

***

"Have the men move in to protect the house. Now that we know he's here there's no need for look outs," Dracula said. 

"Are you sure it was Solomon?" Boris asked. "Cezar says he almost had Zorro before he was knocked out."

"Yes, if it had been Zorro, he would have fallen to them before he could have staked them. Zorro doesn't kill, not even when it would be practical. That's his reputation, and now that I've seen the man, I'm sure. He's too weak and too much a _gentleman_." The last word came out like a curse. "Besides two were taken from behind. I'd say my young ones almost had the fox before Solomon took them out." He looked down at the remains of his fledgling vampires. "Gone so soon. Boris, we'll need more. See to that, and keep on the move, so Solomon will have trouble tracking you. Send Cezar and Emilian to the de la Vega estate. De la Vega must have some kind of secret place to hide his horse and disguise. Such a place might hide more than Zorro's secrets. I want to have two strings to my bow."

"What about the woman?" Boris asked. "What have you done with her?"

"Not much. I didn't want to risk anything obvious— at least not yet. A subconscious compulsion to find the book. What methods she uses are entirely up to her: cajolery, flattery, tears, tying him to a chair and torturing him..."

"Seduction?" Boris interjected.

Dracula raised a brow. "Do you really think so? I doubt it. That would be inefficient and a pity. I do so prefer the taste of her blood now. There is a certain potency that would be lost." He shrugged. "As long as I get that book, it doesn't matter how she gets the information. She may not even have to do anything at all other than be there, as I'm sure he's eager to find it on his own now. But I'm not going to rely solely on her, so get Cezar and Emilian moving. I'm going to seal myself into the cavern during the day. If they don't find anything or she fails us, tomorrow night we stop being so subtle."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with Dracula and the lancers is a deliberate homage to my favorite scene from Monster Squad, only no swearing at little girls in the end. It also ended being milder than I planned since I was actually tempted to kill one or more of the lancers, but that would have added complications I wasn't prepared to deal with, so I went for broken limbs and general terror instead, especially since I thought the scene with Victoria and the follow up conversation with Boris were creepy enough without having Dracula add to the story's overall body count in this chapter. And also, the scene with Dracula and Victoria was influenced by a scene between Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster from the film.


	15. Chapter 14 -Spellbound

Wanting to stay near the front of the house in case of any further incidents, Diego brought out the box of his grandfather's papers and then went through the library trying to find some books that dealt with myths and legends. He was sure he read something on vampires. His rational mind was still having difficulty accepting any of this, but then he also wasn't about to deny the evidence of his own eyes. And he didn't really understand why he was finding it more difficult to believe in vampires than angels. He finally found a couple of books in the bottommost corner of the bookcase. Bringing them over to the desk, he alternated searching through the books and the papers until exhaustion claimed him, and he fell asleep at the desk.

He wasn't sure how long he slept, when he was woken by a knocking on the front door. Weary and stiff, Diego walked to the door. He was surprised when he saw Victoria standing there. The sun was barely up in the sky.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you'd agreed not to go out alone."

"No, I agreed not to go out alone at night," she said. "It's not night. And if you're worried, aren't you going to invite me in?"

She seemed somewhat breathless, and he couldn't help but notice that she'd come wearing short sleeves and no shawl despite the chill in the air.

"Of course, come in," he said, stepping out of the way so she could come inside. "What's happened?"

"Happened?" She looked a little confused.

"To bring you out here like this," he said. "You must be cold." He looked around and saw a small blanket laying on a chair where he'd dropped it the evening before. "Here." He put it around her shoulders. "Now tell me what's happened."

"Oh." She looked confused as if she hadn't really thought about why she'd come. Diego was worried about her. After a long moment, she said, "Sergeant Mendoza came knocking on the tavern door saying Zorro had attacked the lancers and then come back, and he wanted to make sure I was safe and that Zorro wasn't hiding in the tavern. I... I... couldn't sleep anymore, and I was worried about you. I just had to come and see that you were all right." She wandered over to the desk and glanced at one of the open books. "Vampires? Is that about Zorro? About the rumors?"

"No," he said. He wondered what he should tell her. Maybe it was time to tell her everything, mad as some of that everything was. "It's about Dracula."

"Dracula?"

"Yes, it sounds insane, I know, but last night I saw some things..." he trailed off. Almost unconsciously he rubbed his sore neck as he tried to find the words.

Victoria was still looking at the books and the papers on the desk. "Were you up all night with these?"

"Part of it," he said hesitantly. "I fell asleep at some point."

"At the desk? No wonder you look so tired and stiff. Let's sit, please," she said, practically pulling him down onto the sofa. "Now, what happened? What did you see?"

"I decided to pay another visit to Dracula's house last night," he said slowly, still wondering if he should tell her how he was dressed when he paid that visit.

"And you said you were going to be careful," she said, letting the blanket slip off her shoulders as she leaned forward.

Had he? Oh, yes, he had. That seemed a long time ago now. "Well, I was. At least I tried to be."

"So what did you find?" she prompted.

Diego got up and sat at the desk. It would be easier if he wasn't looking at her. He still had a hard time believing it. He idly turned the pages in one of the books as he spoke. "Teresa never eloped. She and Rosa were there, and Jonata— she'd disappeared a couple of days beforehand. They were... different. I think they killed Joaquin. I'm not sure, and they came after me. They were very strong, stronger than they should have been."

Victoria got up from the sofa and put her hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Keeping his eyes focused on the books in front of him, Diego said, "I don't really want to say, but a man saved me from them. They're... dead, and I'm still not sure if they were already dead or he killed them to save me. It just doesn't make sense at all. But...," he paused, mustering the nerve to say what he had been trying to not believe, "...they could have been vampires and Dracula their master. Teresa mentioned him by name, and I saw him do something.... Anyway, I've been looking through these books, and in one there's a brief mention of rumors of one of the Draculas being a vampire. It's not much. And I don't know why that book he wants is so important or even if I should look for it at all. I mean wouldn't it be safer if no one finds it?"

"How much have you looked?" Victoria leaned over his shoulder to look the papers on the desk. "What if it isn't that securely hidden? You should at least make sure it's not here, shouldn't you?"

The softness of her voice, the smell of her hair, just the nearness of her was making it impossible to for him to focus. He struggled to speak normally as inwardly he fought to keep hold of the reins on his imagination. "I suppose. The truth is I haven't started physically looking for it. I was hoping to find out about it from these papers: what it's for and where it is. I didn't want to have to dig through storage, especially if it's not there. I know it's not among the books that are in the open."

"I'll help you look," Victoria said. 

Her voice was practically kissing his ear, and Diego was hard-pressed not to turn and kiss her. He was tired of hiding from her. Standing suddenly, he faced her. "Victoria, there's something I need to tell you, and frankly, I'm starting to think there's never going to be a right time."

He couldn't miss the look of near panic that hit her eyes before she said, "I'm sure it seems that way, but why don't we try finding that book first. You can tell me afterwards."

"But..." Afterwards seemed like it would never come.

"Diego, if Dracula really is the monster you say he is, we really need to find the book as soon as possible," she said, almost desperately.

Diego sighed, resigned. "Well, the first place to check is my grandfather's old room which we've been using for storage. It still has a lot of his things." The last time he'd been in there was when he and Felipe had acquired his grandfather's desk and a few other odd pieces of furniture for the cave. No one had missed them.

"All right. Let's check there then," Victoria said, taking his hand.

He looked down at her hand in his and then led her back to the room which was in a little used part of the hacienda. Opening the door, he looked at the all the piles of boxes, trunks and random odds and ends and sighed again. He was really hoping he wouldn't have to go through this room. With some difficulty, he managed to get to the one window and get the shutter open for some extra light. His grandfather had always preferred a stuffy room. He then looked around to try to figure out what would be the most likely place to start looking. He didn't want to be at this all day, and he still wasn't sure this was a good idea.

On the principle that the important trunk would have been one of the first to be brought in and probably the hardest to reach, he worked his way to the most inconvenient part of the room, where four nearly identical trunks were stacked. He was glad that he had taken some furniture out of the room, otherwise there wouldn't be any place to move things. With difficulty, he moved two of the trunks to the space in the middle, and then went back to the corner where the other two trunks stood side by side. Victoria followed him, almost tripping over her skirts to get to him. Diego had to work to keep his eyes off her legs as he helped her over the last obstacle. There wasn't a lot of space in the corner, and Diego was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

Concentrating, he worked the fastenings on both trunks loose. One opened easily enough, the other which was closest to the wall, wouldn't open at all. Victoria sat down in front of the open one and started looking through the books and papers she saw there, while Diego examined the other trunk, trying to figure out why it wouldn't open since there was no obvious lock. It wouldn't even budge from the ground, either as if it were stuck or fastened to the floor. As he looked over it, he wished either there was more space or he could shrink a bit. There were times when it was not an advantage to be tall and long-limbed, and he did not want to have to shift more furniture.

"I don't think this is stuck," he said in frustration. "There must be some key to unlocking it."

"Would one of these help you?" Victoria asked, holding up a couple of small volumes. "They have your great-grandfather's name in them, but I can't read them."

Diego took them from her and sat on top of the troublesome trunk. They seemed to be journals his grandfather had written in an odd mixture of Latin and Greek. He started flipping through the smaller of the books, trying to find anything that looked like a reference to the trunk. Victoria kept searching through the other trunk, and he found himself repeatedly rereading the same page as he was more focused on her as she leaned over. She was beautiful in red, and he'd always liked that particular shirt on her, but as a gentleman, he really shouldn't be staring at her like this. Wrenching his attention away from Victoria, he knew his mind really wasn't on finding that book. 

When he was about to give up on the journal, he found some odd notations on one page which didn't seem to match anything around them. They seemed to refer to a puzzle lock, and moving to sit in front of the trunk again, he noticed that the notes seemed to correspond to some of the ornate carvings on the front of the trunk. Following the notes, he tried pressing and sliding various points and was finally rewarded with a snap. He opened the trunk, and Victoria left her search to look inside along with him.

The trunk was filled with books and small boxes. They all seemed to be about magic and the supernatural. Victoria quickly replaced the items she'd taken from the other trunk and closed its lid so that they could have a place to put what they took from the trunk. It took quite some time to go through everything. Diego was getting very stiff and very tired as the particular book he was looking for remained elusive. When the last item was out and the book not found, Diego leaned forward in frustration.

"This had to be the trunk, and it's not here. And why should it really be here? If it was such a dangerous book, my grandfather could have tossed it overboard on the voyage to California."

"But you can't be sure. He might have wanted to hide it more thoroughly."

"Then it could be anywhere, and once again, I have to wonder if it's worth looking for." Diego rubbed at his neck.

"Well, Dracula thinks it's worth looking for, and who knows what he'll do if he's convinced you have it or know how to find it," Victoria said. She reached up to touch his neck, and he flinched ever so slightly, partly from pain and partly from the sensation of her touch. Noticing his reaction, she pulled aside his shirt collar to look at the bruises and scratches on his shoulder. "You didn't say you'd been hurt." One hand rested on his chest as she examined him more closely.

"I hadn't really noticed," Diego said, far more acutely aware of her hands on his skin.

"I have the feeling you left out some things when you told me your story," Victoria said, looking in his eyes.

"One thing I've been trying to tell you for a while," Diego said, trying to retain his composure. "I just haven't had the courage." He looked around. In his mind, he had played out telling her his secret times without number, and never once did he foresee it being in a dusty storage room sitting on the floor with barely enough space to move.

"Well, then tell me now," Victoria said.

Diego closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed nervously. It was now or never. He opened his eyes and spoke before his courage failed him again. "I love you, and... I'm Zorro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reference at the beginning of the chapter about believing in angels is a reference to my least favorite episode of the entire series, "It's a Wonderful Zorro", where Diego meets an angel called Don Fernando (personally I prefer to think he had a fever dream about everything as he had a cold at the time). It's better than trying to make sense of the inconsistencies and flat out character assassination of the episode.


	16. Chapter 15 - In the Cave

After he spoke, Victoria stared at him silently for a long time, a mildly puzzled expression on her face. As she reached up her hands to touch his cheeks, Diego didn't dare move or do anything but look at her with a mixture of love, apology and regret. She still didn't say anything but instead leaned forward to kiss him lightly, almost hesitantly, on the lips. He barely had time to respond when she drew back for a moment and whispered, "I thought so," before leaning forward to kiss him again. This time he returned her kiss with passion, relieved that she seemed to accept his identity so easily. 

His being without the mask made it feel like the first time their lips had met. Diego savored the softness of her skin, the smell of her hair, the warmth of her breath so close. He wanted it to last, but the uncomfortable position they were in forced Diego to break off the kiss.

A little sheepishly, he said, "I hope this means I'm forgiven." He carefully got up from the floor and pulled her to her feet.

"Yes, and I love you with or without a mask," Victoria said with a small smile, but still a trace of bewilderment in her expression. "I've suspected for a while; I've just been waiting for you to tell me. But..."

"What is it?" he asked, a little sliver of fear appearing as she spoke.

"I don't know..." she said slowly. "Just this strange feeling that I had when I woke today, that somehow I was wrong and that you weren't Zorro after all, despite how I felt about you. It was very confusing. Maybe it was because Mendoza said Zorro had broken Sepulveda's arm among other things. Did I mention that?"

Diego was surprised. He knew there had been trouble, but he hadn't thought about what might have happened beyond Dracula's pyrotechnic display. He should have paid more attention. "No, you didn't. I had wondered why they chased me so determinedly," he said, feeling a little guilty, then added, "That's part of the story that I left out. After what happened at Dracula's house I was afraid that something might have happened to _you_ and rode for Los Angeles. Dracula was dressed as Zorro and being chased by lancers who also chased me— twice."

"Twice?"

"Yes, once before I got to Los Angeles, and once after I'd finally managed to check that you were all right."

"You checked on me? I never saw you," she said.

"You were asleep," he said a little defensively. "I didn't want to disturb you. And then I had to run— again. It seems like Dracula is determined to blacken Zorro's reputation. I'm not sure why." A small part of him wondered if that was the only reason he'd gone into Los Angeles, but the fact that Victoria seemed completely unharmed made him think that if Dracula had had another plan, he hadn't had time to implement it.

"Do you think he knows that you're Zorro? Is that why he's doing this?" she asked.

"I don't know. I wish I did. I wish I knew why he was doing any of this. And why he'd travel all this way for one book... that I just... can't... _find_!" Diego barely kept himself from kicking the trunk.

Victoria grabbed his arms. "We'll find the answers. You are the cleverest man I know in both your identities," she said, before pulling his head down for another kiss, and he forgot all about being angry.

Too soon, she drew back and said in an astonished tone. "I just realized you haven't even had any breakfast today. No wonder you've been in such a bad mood." She picked up his great-grandfather's journals which they'd left outside of the trunk. "I think I forgot to eat too. We can have something to eat and then get back to the search."

Feeling a different sort of frustration, Diego lifted Victoria over the obstacles, and they made their way back to the main part of the hacienda. As they walked, Victoria asked if his father had known his secret.

"Not until the day the Emissary died," he replied. He still had a hard time accepting that Gilberto had been his brother, and another thought niggled under that one but vanished as he tried to grasp it. "Felipe, though, helped me from the beginning."

"I thought so," Victoria said. "I didn't think your father would have said some of the things he did if he knew, or at least you wouldn't have seemed so hurt, and you and Felipe have always been so close. I should have known you couldn't have hidden it from him."

"There have been times I wished I could have. He shouldn't have had to hide his hearing for Zorro's secret." There were so many things he shouldn't have had to do. That none of them should have had to do.

"Felipe can hear?" she asked.

Diego nodded. "Yes, it returned while I was in Madrid. I don't know when; he never seemed to want to talk about it. And it was very useful for Zorro, but it shouldn't have lasted so long. That's part of the reason he went with Father to Monterey. It will be easier to explain when they come back."

"I think you're right," Victoria said with a smile, as they entered the kitchen.

***

After they'd eaten, they returned to the library. Diego looked over the books in annoyance. "I don't know what to do about this. Or Dracula for that matter. I can't even be sure of everything he's done or what he's capable of, and I don't dare ask the lancers for help. They wouldn't really stand a chance against him."

"But we have to do something," Victoria said, looking around, then in a change of tone. "Diego, where is the cave? I know there were stairs leading from it."

Relieved to be able do something other than look at those books, Diego smiled at her and took her hand, though he lost the smile a little as she grabbed up the books with her other arm. "This way." He lead her to the fireplace and pressed the hidden switch. After the door opened, he pulled her through. However, the moment that they were inside and he'd closed the door, he realized that something was terribly wrong. He could hear the clash of steel. Intruders were in the cave.

Gesturing to Victoria to stay where she was, he carefully moved down the stairs, looking cautiously around the corner, just in time to see Solomon skewering a roughly dressed man who had a long knife in his hand; Diego recognized him as the man who'd tried stabbing him in the back the previous evening. There was another body on the floor behind them, lying just in front of his desk.

Solomon turned as Diego entered the room, looking horrified at the sight. No one had ever made it into the cave before, and now two men lay dead.

"What..." he could hardly speak as he looked around at the general chaos around Solomon. Not all that damage seemed to have come from the fight.

"They were Dracula's men. I tracked them here," Solomon said, casually cleaning his blade.

"Did you have to kill them?" Diego asked. 

"Yes. They were murderers, and they tried to kill me. I don't let evil men live."

"There should be another way," Diego insisted. 

Victoria came down the stairs behind him. He tried to block her view, but she moved beside him.

"I have yet to find one that keeps them from killing again, and I'm not going to debate ethics while under attack. Besides if I let them live they could easily lead Boris back into this cave, and that might prove fatal for you. There are limitations that Dracula has that he hasn't," Solomon said. Then looking at Victoria, he asked, "Is this the lady you were concerned about?"

Diego kept himself between Victoria and Solomon. "Yes, but she's fine. Dracula apparently decided to cause trouble in town dressed as Zorro. The lancers aren't too happy about it."

Solomon said nothing, but simply seemed to be examining Victoria from where he stood as if calculating just how harmless she was.

Diego was watching him warily, but then his eye was drawn over to Toronado's stall, where the horse seemed strangely subdued. He ran over to check him. With some relief it seemed as if he'd been drugged but not poisoned. He knew there were certain herbs that could make a horse pliant and realized that would have been the only way for Dracula's men to guarantee a quiet search other than killing him. Diego stroked Toronado's muzzle, gratitude that his horse was alive only slightly overtaking the anger he was feeling. 

He heard Victoria say to Solomon, "You must be the man who saved Diego last night. He didn't really tell me much about it or even who you were or that you knew him in or out of a mask."

"The name is Solomon. There's not much to tell. I'm very familiar with the de la Vegas; I met him once while he was a student in Madrid, and I have a very long memory. A mask was never going to fool me," he said.

Diego turned back and saw that Solomon was scrutinizing Victoria very carefully. "What is it you are looking for?" he asked.

"Signs of the vampire," Solomon said straightforwardly. "He might have done more than just played pranks on your soldiers. I told you; he likes to work through women. Especially those his enemies love. He finds it amusing."

"But he didn't," Diego said, firmly. He wasn't going to trust Victoria to Solomon's ideas of mercy.

"Apparently not," Solomon said, stepping away from her. He looked down at the bodies. "If you'll help me get these outside, I'll dispose of them."

"Like so much refuse?" Diego asked, a bitter tone creeping into his voice.

"Like enemies who are better found far from your doorstep," Solomon replied dispassionately. "Besides having them here will distract you too much, and you are going to need all your wits about you for the next twenty-four hours."

Diego turned to Victoria. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, and he's right," Victoria said, a bit pale as she looked around. "We need to keep your secret safe."

Reluctantly, Diego carried the bodies out of the cave, where he and Solomon draped them over his horse. Once they were secured, Solomon turned to Diego. "I noticed you have a small handheld crossbow. Take these." Reaching into his coat he pulled out a small slotted band containing ten small crossbow bolts, half wood and the other half apparently silver tipped. "You may need them, and don't make the mistake of trying to be merciful. They won't have any mercy on you... or your lady."

Diego took the bolts from him without saying a word. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure he could use them, but then he thought of Victoria. There wasn't much he wouldn't do to protect her.

"I'll return later," Solomon said, taking the reins. "Be careful. They're unlikely to make another move before sundown, but don't underestimate them."

Diego simply nodded his head and reentered the cave, disabling the opening mechanism the moment it closed. He didn't want to risk any more unwelcome visitors. He was sure that Solomon would be wise enough to find a way to signal him when he returned. Checking on Toronado again, he saw that he seemed much the same. Since he didn't know what they'd given to him, he thought it better to let it pass naturally rather than risk making it worse by dosing.

Victoria had almost finished sweeping up the broken glass. Crossing the room, he placed the crossbow bolts on the top of the chest of drawers under where he kept his weapons. He looked around miserably, his eyes focusing in on the blood on the floor. He'd set up warning bells, but he never really thought he'd ever get any closer to discovery than that one time with the bandits who'd robbed Victoria's wagon, the day he'd finally proposed. He got a bucket of water and some rags and started to wipe up the blood. 

He would never understand how good men could be so casual about life and death. Though he'd used it as a threat and on occasion had felt it might be the only option, he'd never wanted to kill anyone. His father and Sir Edmund had been soldiers and were far more pragmatic about killing than he ever could be. Solomon was a step further along than even them. He had the burning drive of a fanatic. Diego wondered if he even understood the meaning of mercy in any context outside of "merciful death," but he was also fighting things outside of the range of normal experience. Diego felt as if the world had gone all topsy turvy and his mind was muddled with feelings of anger and helplessness.

His eyes drifted over to Victoria, who was picking things up off the floor. Perhaps he should escort her back to town. She'd be safer there, wouldn't she? It's not like she was that much safer here, but right now, he didn't want to let her out of his sight. He wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to protect her or that he was afraid she'd realize she was better off without him, if she had time to think it over.

Shaking his head to try to clear it of such dark thoughts, he moved over to clean the spot next to the desk. Victoria knelt next to him, placing a comforting arm around his back. He turned and pulled her into a tight embrace, just holding her for a while. He loved her so much it was almost painful. Victoria gently rubbed his back as he held her.

Finally, she said, "Diego, who is Solomon really?"

It was a strange question, but he'd rather answer that than deal with their other problems. "Sir Edmund Kendall's brother," he said. "I don't know if you remember him."

"Of course, I remember; I don't think I'll ever forget how you looked when he died," she said, holding him tighter.

Remembering, Diego said, "He figured it out too... just before the end." Sir Edmund had known him too well to be fooled either. It was strange to think of the long connection between the two families, especially the ones he had only just found out about. As he thought of it, he added, "Apparently Solomon and my great-uncle Teodoro fought the supernatural together." He laughed a little then, just short of hysterically. "I never thought I'd say such a thing." He looked in her eyes; his hand moving up to caress her cheek. "You do forgive me, don't you? For the lies and the pretense? For keeping you waiting so long?" With everything that had happened, he needed this reassurance.

Victoria's eyes were shining. "Of course," she said, leaning forward to kiss him.

He returned her kiss passionately, almost desperately, and she responded with equal fervor. Diego was still off center, though he still had sense enough left to stop before hands and lips started wandering into forbidden areas. Wrapping his arms around her, Diego sat holding her, chin resting on the top of her head, trying to compose himself enough to speak.

"I'm sorry, Victoria," he said, his breathing a little ragged. "These past few days..."

Victoria slid back onto the floor, a little unsteady herself. "I know... for both of us," she said, her voice a whisper. "Maybe we should keep looking for that book."

That suddenly seemed the safer idea. Much safer. "Where? And why? That's the thing that keeps nagging me. I've always believed knowledge was power, but this seems a bit extreme."

Getting to her feet, Victoria said, "Maybe there's something in your great-grandfather's journals that says why the book is so important and gives a clue as to where your grandfather would have stored it." She headed back for the stairs.

Diego leaned back miserably against the desk leg, trying to gather back the tattered remnants of his self-control. He was not dealing with anything well. He had always been able to come up with plans of action, but now he felt confused, angry, and out of his depth. He sat up to grab the bloody rag laying on the floor beside him and stared at it in his hand. The blood of men who died here in this cave. His sanctuary. He couldn't shake the sick feeling that no matter how this all ended, this place would never be the same again. He could wipe away the blood, but its memory would stay on that floor forever.. 

He tossed the rag in the bucket of water and went to lean back against the desk leg again but this time missed and ended up landing hard on his back under the desk. He could have laughed at this one bit of unintentional clumsiness, if he hadn't knocked the breath out of himself. As he lay on the floor, he heard the thud of books hitting the ground.

"Diego!" Victoria crossed the room and was leaning over him.

Keeping his hands on the floor, Diego said, "I'm all right. Just a miscalculation." He averted his eyes from her as her nearness was doing strange things to his insides. He really wasn't as in control of himself as he'd like to be. Vaguely, he noticed something odd about the underside of the desk— his grandfather's desk— but before he could give it more than a passing thought, the alarm bells began to ring.


	17. Chapter 16 - Gathering Forces

Grabbing his sword and telling Victoria to go up the stairs, Diego headed for the cave entrance, hoping that more of Dracula's men weren't there. Looking through the spy hole, he was relieved to see Solomon standing still, looking patiently at the entrance. Diego opened the door from the inside and let him back in.

"It's done," Solomon said. He looked drawn, and his arm had started bleeding again.

"Do I dare ask what you did with them?" Diego asked, once they were back inside and the door disconnected again.

"I made sure they would be found by those most concerned," Solomon said.

"So Dracula will know they failed and think I killed them?" Diego asked.

"No, he'll know that _I_ did," Solomon replied. "He knows your weakness as well as I do. You're going to have to overcome it tonight."

"Why tonight?" 

They had walked back into the main part of the cave. Victoria came back downstairs.

Solomon looked him in the eye. Diego wondered how the shorter man managed to make him feel small with just a look. "Because he no longer has to disguise what he is with you. He also knows that I'm here, and that I'm not going to stop until I've finished my work. There's no point in taking his time anymore. And you need to understand that this is life and death. More than life and death," Solomon said.

"I'm not sure I can do that," Diego said. He went to get some bandages and something to clean Solomon's arm.

"You will _have _to," Solomon hissed insistently. He stepped closer to Diego and now stood only inches from his face. "These aren't simple villains who can be locked away. They are monsters who will kill and worse than kill— turn others into creatures like themselves."

"Perhaps killing doesn't come as naturally to me as it does to you," Diego replied, not bothering to hide his growing agitation.

"And _that _is your opinion of me, is it?" Solomon spat. "You think I enjoy doing this? I've spent most of my life in the dark. I haven't done it because I want to. I've done it because it _has_ to be done. I don't expect you to relish the task any more that I have. Would you like your lady to be as those creatures last night?" Solomon asked, taking off his coat and sitting down at Diego's quiet insistence.

"_His_ lady is standing right here and would prefer not to be ignored," Victoria said, in irritation. "What happened? Diego didn't tell me much."

"He was attacked by three vampire women. I'm not sure whether they were planning to kill him or turn him." Solomon barely managed to hide his reaction to the pain as Diego cleaned his arm. It didn't need stitches, but it was slightly inflamed. "It didn't matter. I staked them through the heart. It's either that or beheading. We are fortunate that it is four days until a full moon. Otherwise, Boris would be even more formidable. As it is, silver is still necessary." He looked at Diego. "I suggest you get as many of your servants out of the house before this evening. This will be Dracula's primary target, and I doubt you want to risk their lives."

"I've already taken care of that," Diego said, finishing tying the fresh bandage around Solomon's arm. "I did that last night. I wasn't even sure why then." Diego looked at Victoria. He should take her back to Los Angeles; he wasn't about to send her on her own. He pulled her away from Solomon and spoke to her quietly. "You don't need to stay here. I can take you back to your tavern."

"And leave you two alone to face this? Not a chance," she whispered. "You need me."

"I need you to be safe more." If anything happened to her, he couldn't go on.

"Felipe isn't here, and I don't trust anyone else to keep _you _safe," she said, glancing over to where Solomon was watching. "He's injured and has his own agenda."

"Victoria..."

"Don't fight me on this, Diego. It will be better if we're together." She held on to his hands. "I may not be able to fight like you, but I know I can do something. There is strength in numbers no matter how few they might be."

Diego considered this. He couldn't be sure what would happen, and the truth was with his father and Felipe out of town, there was no one else that he really trusted to protect Victoria. Mendoza was a good enough man, but he or his lancers wouldn't be able to do anything against Dracula even if they knew what to do. Perhaps it would be better to keep her close; after all, it was better than wondering what trouble she might have gotten into. If only he had any idea of what to expect.

"All right," he said reluctantly. "But I'm going to need you to be willing to hide and stay out of the fight if it's starts getting too bad. I can't have anything happening to you."

Solomon walked over to them. "It is safer keeping her with you, especially if there's no one else here with your caliber of fighting to entrust her protection to. Dracula seems to sense when a loved one is particular vulnerable. Now, do you think you can prepare yourself for this?"

"I don't have much choice, but first I want to know what is so important about the book. Also why does Dracula want it and why is it vital to keep it away from him?" Diego had enough of not knowing why the book was important. Even if they never found it, he had to know why it was wanted.

"You are a curious man," Solomon replied.

Diego was not going to be put off of the subject. "I'm a scholarly man, and the more I know the better I can plan."

"I can understand that though I'm a pragmatic man," Solomon said. "While I've never seen the book, I know it fell into your great-grandfather's hands back in his demon-fighting days. I'm not sure who he took it from. It was one of a kind, obviously. There were a lot of obscure spells, but I think what Dracula is interested is in the mention of rare artifacts. It's rumored that the book contains detailed information about a certain amulet that's supposed to have the power to banish evil into limbo, as well as what is needed to either destroy it or unleash its powers, and this is the only book that I've heard of that describes it in such detail. I've always concerned myself with more practical weapons, but I know enough to realize that Dracula could do even greater harm with the information in that book. Any other questions?"

"Yes," Victoria interjected. "Do you have any idea where Diego's grandfather might have hidden this book? It's not in the trunk."

"I'm afraid not. I had very little to do with Don Sebastian, and Don Alejandro thought it would be best if neither Teodoro nor I knew what had happened to the trunk or its contents," he said, before turning back to Diego. "You would be in a better position to guess what he would have done with it. Now are you ready to prepare?"

"Now, I am," Diego replied.

***

It was late afternoon. Solomon had finished instructing Diego on the strengths and weaknesses of the foes he was going to face and leaving him with a supply of weapons had disappeared outside to survey the area. Victoria had brought out garlic cloves from the kitchen after Solomon had told of their efficacy, and even dropped a couple into a small bag that she'd fastened to her belt. After she'd done that she had insisted on continuing to try to find the book. 

Diego took the opportunity to go to his room to change into darker, less noticeable clothing. Since he had no idea what the evening would bring or where he would be going, he had decided against dressing as Zorro again. This was not a night to meet overly enthusiastic lancers. He pulled out a heavy black shirt that he hadn't really worn since his return from Spain and his darkest blue pants and vest in order to better blend into the night. The last thing he grabbed was an old leather coat, which, while it might inhibit his maneuverability, should offer him greater protection.

As he turned to leave, he was startled to see Victoria standing at his door. Nervously, he wondered what brought her to his room. She didn't seem upset though she'd been anxious most of the afternoon. Not knowing what to say, he just stood there for a moment as she looked him up and down.

"I've always liked you in black," she said with a smile, "but blue suits you as well. It brings out the color of your eyes." She ran her hands up to the collar of his shirt. "I haven't seen this shirt before."

Swallowing nervously, he said, "I thought it would be a bad idea to wear black as myself." He took hold of her hands and stepped back slightly, trying to hide his nervousness. "It seemed like it would be pushing my luck even if the style was different. But was there something else you wanted other than to approve my wardrobe choice?"

Her smile turned a little wicked, and he realized that what he wanted say had come out differently than he intended. 

"I meant is there something you needed?" That sounded wrong too. He tried again. "Is there something wrong? Or did you find something?"

Victoria shook her head. "No, not yet," she said. "But I thought you might want something to eat. We don't know what's going to happen, and well..."

"That sounds like a good idea," Diego said. He looked down at her clothes. "And I think I need to find you some kind of jacket to wear. It's chilly this evening, and I want you prepared."

"All right, and maybe you can think of some other place for me to look for the book," she said, anxiety returning to her face.

"I'm not really sure," he said, leading her away from his room.

"We need to find it," she insisted. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Diego."

"Nothing will," he said. "I don't think the book affects my safety one way or the other. Wait here a minute." He ducked into the room that held some of his mother's things. In a trunk, he found an old jacket of his mother's that might work for her. He reappeared in the hall and handed it to Victoria.

The jacket was loose and the sleeves slightly long, but otherwise it fit well enough. "Thank you, Diego," Victoria said, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

Diego closed his eyes a moment, then kissed her lightly on the forehead, determined to be more careful than he had been earlier. He hadn't been in proper control of himself, and he loved Victoria too much to treat her carelessly just because he was feeling overly emotional. He cleared his throat and said, "Now about that food."

"Right this way," she replied, holding his hand. "It's all ready, and then we can get back to work."

***

Boris returned to the hacienda near sunset. With all his guile and cunning, he had managed to find but one replacement for the fledglings Dracula had lost. Fortunately, she was a small thing he could easily hold on his horse. There had been no sign of Solomon on his journey, but he found one on his return. 

Directly in front of the gate of the hacienda lay the bodies of Emilian and Cezar, silver coated spikes sticking out from each chest. Placing his unconscious prize on the ground, Boris drew a knife as he approached the house. Inside as he expected, he found the bodies of the three men left behind. They hadn't managed to put up much of a struggle. He was relieved to see that the panel to the secret passage was still firmly locked and appeared untampered with.

Once he locked the girl securely in one of the rooms, he went back to carry the bodies of the men inside to another. While the chances of someone visiting were slim, Boris was not going to take any chances this evening.

"Solomon is a very determined man," Dracula's voice echoed off the walls.

Even with his keen hearing, Boris had not heard his master emerge from his sanctuary and slink up behind him. Surprised though he was, Boris did not betray any sign of it. "We already knew that," he said dryly.

Dracula sidled up beside Boris and took a closer look at the bodies. "Pity. This will make things go less smoothly than I would have hoped."

That was an understatement to Boris's mind. While he feared few men, he knew it was time to start planning their exit, but he had to ask, "What of the book, my lord? Do you think the woman has found it?"

"Ah, the taverness. Well, either she knows where it is and will tell us..." Dracula paused for a moment.

"And if she doesn't?" Boris asked. He hoped that Dracula would forget the book in favor of concentrating on their primary enemy or their escape, but once Dracula was fixated on a goal, it was hard to get him to see reason.

Dracula's look told Boris that he knew exactly what he was thinking and that he was going to ignore him as usual. "Then she will become a hostage... and de la Vega will most certainly tell us."

"You assume he knows where it is," Boris said somewhat pointedly.

Smiling condescendingly, Dracula said, "As long as he believes he can save her, he _will_ find it for me without delay."

"As you say, my lord. Shall we go?" Boris asked. He would follow Dracula wherever he willed, but he didn't have nearly his faith in either the book's existence or the success of his plan.

Dracula cocked his head to one side, he could hear the faint moans of the girl regaining consciousness. "Make things ready. We'll depart after supper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where we get the explanation of the book and why it's important. It was a case of my wanting to tie things into Monster Squad while not repeating the plot of the movie (which wouldn't really work with the timing in any case). And considering how much of a scholar Diego is, a book seemed an appropriate choice.


	18. Chapter 17 - Ultimatum

The sun had gone down, and Diego was feeling anxious. After they had eaten, Victoria had insisted on going back to searching for the book. Diego had gone down to the cave, and despite his misgivings he'd strapped on his sword and stored various weapons under his coat. It felt incredibly strange to do this without putting on a mask. 

He was a little concerned about Victoria's obsession with the book. He didn't understand why she was so convinced that they would be safer if they knew where it was. It seemed that if they couldn't find it, Dracula wouldn't be able to find it either, and that would be a good thing. But she wouldn't stop, and it kept her safely inside and focused on something other than the danger outside, so he couldn't see any harm in it, especially since he had a suspicion of where it might be.

Outside the house, everything seemed quiet. Too quiet for his tastes. Solomon appeared suddenly, startling him. Diego wasn't used to being the one surprised.

"Nothing yet, but it feels like something soon," Solomon said.

There was something Diego wanted to know, but he'd hesitated asking, especially in front of Victoria, but he felt that if he didn't find out now, then he wouldn't have another chance.

"Solomon, there's something I'm curious about," Diego said hesitantly. "Why have you been tracking Boris with such dedication? It seems somehow... personal."

The older man stared at him unblinkingly, blue eyes glittering in the night. "I've fought monsters for forty five years. I don't need an excuse to track them down," he said, but then with a grim look continued. "However, you are right. I do have a specific reason. I was in France. You don't need to know why. The night was about as bright as this one, when I saw a man, if you can call him that, bending over something on the ground. I saw his face clearly, and he was covered in blood. I challenged him, and he just smiled before taking off down the road. I was going to follow him when I heard a sound and realized what the something was. 

"It was a girl, not quite dead, though I don't understand why, considering what had been done to her. I could not leave her to die alone, and I promised that I would avenge her death. I've been tracking Boris and his master ever since, though it has not been an easy chase." He paused and then seemed to see the question that Diego wouldn't ask. "The next day, I found out from the local priest her name was Annette. She was an orphan with no family, no one who cared. I did, and I will avenge her and all the other innocents whose blood has been shed or corrupted by these demons. That has been my life and will be my life until I return to my Maker."

Diego stood frozen at the fierceness of Solomon's words. He was a great believer in justice, in defending the innocent, but Solomon burned with something that he could barely comprehend and was even afraid to see. 

Solomon's gaze softened slightly. "I was never made for a path of peace, Diego. You apparently were, and yet you still fight. I think this is going to be a very hard night for you. Go back inside and look after your lady. I'm keeping watch here."

Diego couldn't find his voice. He merely nodded before going inside to find Victoria. He finally found her in the cave. She stood in the middle of the room looking around blankly.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, as he came up behind her.

She turned and grabbed hold of him, burying her head against his chest. "I don't know," she murmured, almost indistinguishably. "I feel so strange." She looked up at him, anxiety in her eyes. "I can't find it. I just can't find it. Are you sure you don't have an idea of where it could be?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to say what he suspected, but he still thought it was better not to know where it was, so he asked instead, "Why is this bothering you so much?"

"I... I don't know. I just don't think you're safe as long as Dracula thinks you have it or can get it."

"I don't think I would be any safer if I did know, Victoria," he said. "I believe Dracula is completely ruthless. I don't think it makes a difference one way or the other, and at least if we don't know, we can't tell."

"But I don't want anything to happen to you," Victoria said. She was starting to shake a little.

Diego held her tightly until she stopped. "_Querida_, what's wrong?" he asked. "This isn't like you."

"I don't know. I wish I did," Victoria said.

"You don't have to stay here," Diego said soothingly.

"No!" Victoria was adamant.

"Well, then you could stay here in the cave. I've disabled the outside door, so no one is going to get in that way."

"Are you sure about that?" a cold voice asked.

Diego looked up in shock to see Dracula and Boris standing near Toronado's stall. He moved to stand in front of Victoria, unsure of what to expect. He had been caught flat-footed again, and he wasn't sure if he'd have time to draw a weapon.

Dracula looked around. "I admire your style. A very pleasant place for a bandit to make his home. But your security needs more work. I'm surprised that hasn't proven a problem for you before."

"What do you want?" Diego asked.

"You know what I want. I've made no mystery about that," Dracula said. "I want the book."

Diego still couldn't understand why Dracula would do everything he had done for a book, no matter how important. "Why?"

There was a slight smile. "You can learn a lot from books," Dracula replied. "Now where is it?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if my grandfather ever really had it, much less where he would have hidden it."

Dracula was insistent. "I know he had it. I know he brought it with him. He never would have gotten rid of it. So I need you to look a bit harder."

"Why should I?"

"I think I can find a reason," Dracula said. 

Before Diego could react, a bolt of lightning shot from Dracula's hand knocking Diego back across the room. Diego couldn't move; he felt like he'd been hit in the chest by a hammer and could hardly breathe. He was also stunned to see Victoria slowly cross the room to Dracula. When she reached him, she turned, and there was an odd tenseness in her stance as if she were compelled against her will. Her eyes watched him fearfully.

"Oh, yes, I did more than have a little sport with the lancers," Dracula said. "Your lady has quite the strong will. It took concentration and a little blood." He lifted her wrist. "Unfortunately, she failed in her instructions." Dracula looked down at Diego. "Now, I've lost my patience, and I've gained a hostage. If you have any feeling for her, bring me the book by midnight. Otherwise..." Taking hold of her chin, he examined her curiously. "I haven't decided whether to make her a companion or turn her over to Boris as a play thing. You can ask your friend Solomon how Boris likes to leave his toys." He paused at the expression on Diego's face. "Apparently, he already has. Good. Now you know, and it all depends on just how angry you make me."

"If you harm her..." Diego choked out.

"I've heard that before, and the men who made those threats are all dead or worse than dead," Dracula said. "I've even heard them from members of your own family. Your uncle— no, I think it was your great uncle— Teodoro. He was a great one for threats; unfortunately, he tried facing me alone. I snapped his neck." Diego tried getting up, but another blast from Dracula knocked him back to the floor. "Stay down. I'm not finished yet."

Victoria cried out and yanked at Dracula's arm, but he easily knocked her back. Boris grabbed her around the waist, and Victoria elbowed him in the ribs and kicked at his knee. Boris doubled over, but before she could do anything more, Dracula grasped her around the neck and using pressure points, rendered her unconscious. Boris straightening up, caught Victoria as she slumped forward, while Diego, still stunned, could do nothing more than watch.

Dracula stared at her curiously, before saying to Boris, "I should have taken more blood. She's very strong-willed."

"More than just strong-willed, my lord," Boris replied, sarcasm in his voice which Dracula ignored.

Dracula stepped towards Diego. "Her feelings for you must run very deep." Shrugging slightly, he continued, "Now as I was saying before I was interrupted, I've had a long acquaintance with your family. About as long as with Boris's, whose family has served me faithfully for a long time. Their one weakness is a tendency to nurse their own vendettas. Like Boris's sister. I'm not sure you remember his sister, though I'm sure you remember what she did." Dracula paused for a moment, staring at Diego's confused look. "She was here not more than three weeks ago. Ynez Risendo. Now that is a woman with patience, dedication, a full understanding of the dark arts, and enough hatred for your family to go to the trouble of stealing and raising one of your own to try to destroy you. I had hoped that it would make this visit unnecessary. Unfortunate that she failed, but the pain inflicted seems to have satisfied her if not me. Well, that and the spell she cast to make herself forgettable, while leaving you to remember Gilberto with clarity. You haven't really thought about her, have you?"

Diego's eyes widened as he realized that this was the truth, and it was like a floodgate had opened in his mind.

"See how malleable memory can be," Dracula said. "Now I need you to remember this one important thing."

He gave an almost imperceptible nod to Boris, who threw Victoria over his shoulder and carried her towards the exit of the cave. Dracula came and knelt next to Diego.

"Midnight," Dracula repeated softly. "It shouldn't take a desperate man that long to find what I'm looking for, and I see desperation in those eyes. Your Victoria is very devoted to you. It's up to you to decide how to repay that devotion. Save her or kill her." Then he too left the cave.

Finally, Diego struggled to his feet, drew his sword and headed for the outside. By the time he got there, he could only watch as they disappeared into the distance. For too long a time, he stood there watching, a cold, icy anger burning away the doubts and fears that had been clouding his mind. This _thing_ and his servants had been haunting his family for generations, and now Victoria was threatened. His mind clear for the first time in a long time, he headed back into the cave, with cool deliberation. He was a man of peace, but he'd just realized that Solomon had a point about certain kinds of monsters.

Now, he could no longer afford to ignore that little nagging thought that had been haunting him most of the afternoon. It seemed incredible, and yet he knew with absolute certainty exactly where the book was. Grabbing his tools, he slid under his grandfather's desk and attacked the odd looking section there. A minute later a box almost fell on his head. Putting the box on the desk, he realized it was another puzzle box, like the trunk, and it took him only a few moments to get it open and finally see the book for the first time.

Taking it from the box, Diego thought it looked like quite an innocuous book. He flipped it open and glanced through the pages. There were spells in a variety of languages— Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, English, and even Spanish. There were also illustrations of various artifacts including the amulet that Solomon thought Dracula was interested in. He wished he had time to properly examine it, but there was no time. He wasn't about to wait until midnight. The only way to deal with Dracula was now, long before he was expected.

Placing the book to one side, he quickly went to work on the box. His plan would require precise assembly, and he had minimal time. He was lucky that the components he needed hadn't been damaged in the fight. Working feverishly at his lab table, Diego soon had the box prepared, and he carefully locked the box before slipping it into a small bag and strapping it onto his back. If he had done his work correctly, only opening the box would cause any problems, but he would have to go on faith as he hadn't really any more time to waste.

He filled a couple of bags with explosive and fireworks charges. And staring at the book, he put it into yet another bag. If necessary, he'd give it up, but that was the last resort. Checking on Toronado, he reluctantly concluded that he wasn't enough over whatever drug he'd been given. He'd have to ride Esperanza instead. Stroking Toronado's mane, Diego whispered comforting words in his ears, before starting for the stairs. Before he reached them, he spotted the wooden spear he'd found when he looked for Jonata and grabbed it as well before moving on. When he reached the stable, he wasn't surprised to find Solomon waiting for him.

"Dracula has Victoria," Diego said bluntly. "He wants the book by midnight. I've got the book now, but I don't trust him, so I want us to do something before he expects us." He handed Solomon the bag holding the book. "I've got a plan, but I'm going to need your help. Will you help me?"

"What is your plan?" was all the other man said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Solomon's reason for hunting Boris was inspired by Solomon Kane's actions in the story "Red Shadows" where he tracked a man around the world to avenge the death of a girl he met as she was dying.


	19. Chapter 18 - Just Vengeance

In the dining room, Boris shoved Victoria into a chair before tying her arms and legs to it. She glared at him. Whatever influence Dracula had been exerting on her seemed to have vanished the second time she'd seen him attack Diego. Now anger was all but overwhelming her fear, and she was grateful for it. Not even seeing one of the possible fates in store for her in the form of the female vampire she'd seen and recognized as Lupe, a girl she knew only by sight, had done anything more than slightly dampen the rage she felt at having been under Dracula's spell.

The whole day she'd not quite been herself, so consumed with worry over that accursed book, when Diego had been right that it was safer lost. She hated Dracula for taking her feelings for Diego and making her feel like she could only save him by finding that thing. She hated that she hadn't realized what was wrong with the way she'd been feeling. She'd always trusted Diego's judgment on matters of learning and Zorro's on matters of safety, so she should have known to trust him on this.

She should also have known something was wrong when she'd spent most of the day feeling as if she were trying to navigate through a thick fog that only occasionally thinned enough to let her realize how lost she was. The few times she had really felt entirely herself had been when Diego had confessed he was Zorro and whenever he had kissed or held her. Her feelings of love for him and his for her had managed to crowd out that anxiety if only for a short time. She'd felt entirely like herself at those times. It might be wicked, but she wished Diego hadn't been so much of a gentleman. All right, she knew it was wicked— sinful at the very least— but then she'd often had sinful thoughts about him, with or without a mask on. However, it probably didn't really matter that much now that she was tied to a chair and facing death or worse than death.

As she sat there, she was hit with the horrible realization that she must have opened the cave door for Dracula, without knowing it. There was a blank spot in her memory from the last time she'd gone down into the cave until Diego had come down the stairs right before Dracula had appeared. She'd endangered Diego, when she would do anything to save him, and that made her even more furious and more determined to escape.

She twisted around in the chair, relieved for once at the contempt Boris and Dracula had shown. They hadn't searched her, hadn't even bothered taking the bag she'd hung on her belt, convinced she wouldn't be able to do anything. That was a mistake. She began working her hands through the bars of the chair and squirmed around until she could reach under the jacket into the back of her belt. Earlier, she had slipped a bit of metal with a sharp edge to it into it. She'd been kidnapped too many times, tied up too many times, and had no intention of being reduced to being a simple damsel in distress again. Bad enough that she'd been forced to betray her love against her will, she wasn't going to let Diego give away something dangerous to try to save her. Dracula would never let either of them live even if he got the book.

It took her longer than she liked to get hold of the blade and she just barely managed to avoid nicking her fingers. Pulling carefully, she slid it out, almost dropping it once it was free. It took a bit of maneuvering to get it into position, and the ropes were tough. Victoria didn't like to think what else they might have been used to restrain. As she started sawing through them, she could hear the sounds of explosions in the distance.

Diego. That had to be Diego. She didn't know what he was doing, but she was sure he actually had a plan. And she was going to make sure she was free to help the man she loved.

***

Dracula and Boris were standing in front of the hacienda when the explosions went off in the distance, followed by the glare of sparks in the sky.

"I don't know whether he's copying us, or we were copying him. It's probably a diversion, but I can fly there and back faster than he can ride anywhere. Keep an eye outside. The fledgling should be sufficient to guard the inside," Dracula said.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea, my lord," Boris replied, then seeing Dracula's expression, shrugged. "As you will."

Dracula turned into a bat and began flying in the direction of the explosion.

Nearby out of easy sight, Diego and Solomon crouched, watching as Dracula began to fly away. "I doubt he will be distracted for very long. We'll have to move quickly," Diego whispered.

"Yes, you will," Solomon said without taking his eyes from Boris. "Go save your lady. Leave Boris to me."

"If we move together, we could take him by surprise."

The moon was nearly full and gave ample light for Solomon to search Boris's stoic countenance and just enough for him to see the barely discernible twitch of his nostrils.

Boris drew his sword.

"No. He already knows we're here. You need to go."

With some hesitation, Diego did as he was bid, stopping for only a moment to look back at the old man. He feared he might not see him again but knew he couldn't let such thoughts distract him now. "_Vaya con dios_," he muttered and made his way to the back of the hacienda.

***

As Solomon approached, Boris was as unmoving as a statue, but Solomon knew that inwardly, his adversary's mind was racing furiously, planning his attack. At length, Boris's eyes narrowed. To any other man, this would have likely gone unnoticed, but for Solomon, it was all the warning he needed.

Boris lunged madly toward Solomon, sword held high overhead. In a single motion, Solomon drew his sword and brought it up to block the downward strike. Steel crashed into steel, and the force sent Solomon reeling backwards. Quick to press his advantage, Boris unleashed a violent flurry of strikes which Solomon just barely managed to parry.

Solomon was skilled, but Boris was far stronger and clearly trying to bring this to a swift conclusion. The slashing and stabbing grew steadily more ferocious, and just as a scintilla of concern began creeping into Solomon's mind about how much longer he could hold out, Boris swung wild and sent his boot heel slamming squarely into Solomon's chest.

The force of the blow lifted him from the ground and sent him flying back into the nearby garden wall. He bounced off hard and fell to the ground. White circles filled his vision. Struggling to breathe, he could barely hear Boris approaching over the ringing in his ears. When he looked up, there was his adversary standing over him.

"This is the end of it," Solomon spat.

Boris allowed himself a half smile as he raised his sword and brought it crashing down onto empty earth. In a single instant, Solomon rolled aside and swung his own blade, slicing neatly across Boris's right leg.

Boris stared long and hard at the wound. It wasn't deep. It barely broke the skin and drew only a little blood but it burned like a white hot brand and in that instant he realized what had just happened. A chill ran through his body; his legs wobbled; and he fell to his knees. The poison was quickly doing its work, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He looked across where Solomon knelt next to him. His vision was fading fast but was still keen enough to catch the glint of the silver dust particles that coated the blade, the ones he had failed to notice in the heat of battle.

"I should have known," Boris wheezed. "All this time... for... a girl?" Boris breathed heavily a few times and then fell face first to the ground, dead.

Solomon fought to stand but wound up sinking back to his knees. His heartbeat hammered in his ears and though his waistcoat had somewhat softened Boris's kick, his chest still ached and he fought to get his breath back. It didn't help that he was by no means a young man anymore, and for all his skill, this battle following so close on the others had taken its toll on his body. He grew more lightheaded as he eased himself down on his back. He closed his eyes, hoping it would be Diego's and not Dracula's face he would see when he awakened. In between long, deep breaths, he whispered hoarsely, "Her name was Annette."

***

After what seemed like an eternity, the ropes came apart, and Victoria bent to untie her legs. The house was silent, and no one seemed to have heard a thing. However, she couldn't take any chances; she needed a weapon. While there was a heavy candelabra on the table, she thought it would be better to have something wooden. Looking anxiously around the room for a less sturdy chair than the one she'd been tied to, she spotted one near the other end of the table.

Hurrying to grab it, she turned it onto its side and worked on snapping one of the legs off. Though it looked weaker, she had to wedge it under another piece of furniture in order to get leverage enough to break a leg off. She cringed at the loud sound it made when it snapped, but was gratified it had broken off to a very sharp point. She looked and listened for a moment, but the house remained silent. Opening the bag at her belt, she pulled out a garlic clove and held it in her other hand. Carefully, she headed towards the front door. She was almost there when something grabbed her from behind, causing her to drop her stake

Elbowing behind her, Victoria ducked forward and spun around. It was Lupe, who lunged at her, hissing. Remembering the garlic, Victoria brought it up and shoved it hard into her face, twisting and grinding it in. Lupe swung her arms wildly, knocking Victoria's hands and the garlic away. The vampire backed into the door, burn marks appearing on her face, hissing more violently. Victoria hadn't really expected it to burn her, but now the wounded vampire was between her and the door.

Feeling someone coming up behind, Victoria whirled around ready to strike when she saw who it was. "Diego!" she exclaimed.

He had no time to respond as the vampire threw herself forward, growling. The spear he was carrying dropped as he pushed Victoria out of the way of the attack, catching Lupe's arms before she reached him. Victoria went to grab the broken chair leg which was closer to her than the spear but hesitated once it was in her grip, unsure of what to do. Diego pushed back on Lupe who twisted round falling directly towards Victoria. A bloodcurdling shriek followed; Lupe had fallen directly onto the broken chair leg Victoria had been holding. Reflexively, she let go of the makeshift weapon and leapt back, horrified as the vampire continued her fall forward and the weight of her body drove the leg through her heart and out her back. After one last convulsive motion, Lupe lay still. While Victoria hated Dracula, she felt a strange kind of pity for Lupe despite what she'd become.

Diego took Victoria by the arms, looking over her urgently. "Are you all right?" he asked. "They didn't hurt you?"

"No, I was just tied to a chair and what you saw here. Are you all right?" She looked over him for wounds. She didn't know what Dracula had done to him while she'd been unconscious.

"Fine. Was that the garlic?" he asked. "I didn't expect it to cause a reaction like that."

Victoria could almost laugh at his curiosity at a time like this. This was her Diego and her hero. "_Sí_," she said. "What better weapon for a cook?"

"I can't think of one," Diego said before pulling her close for a kiss that was as fierce as it was brief. "Now, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand, and they ran for the front door. When they emerged into the courtyard, Victoria ran into Diego as he came to a sudden halt. "Oh no," he breathed.

"What? What is it?" Victoria asked as she moved around Diego's side. She grabbed Diego's arm for support as her legs went a little weak and her stomach twisted into knots as she saw Dracula leaning over Solomon's motionless body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final confrontation between Solomon and Boris was written entirely by my husband (known as Ghetto Outlaw at Fanfiction.net), and he also helped with the fight with Lupe. He is much better with action scenes than I am.
> 
> Victoria using garlic on Lupe was another Monster Squad reference though the movie it's more comedic than here.


	20. Chapter 19 - Fire and Ice

Dracula had flown to the site of the explosion and fireworks. No one was there. De la Vega must have used some long fuses to delay the explosion long enough to get to the hacienda. He immediately reversed course to head back as quickly as possible. Everything seemed quiet, but he couldn't see Boris, until he was over the courtyard.

Transforming as he landed, Dracula dropped next to Boris's body. He could feel the presence of silver as he knelt next to him. "You were right, old friend," he said softly. "I should have listened this time." He turned to stare at the unconscious body of Solomon. For a moment he was torn between simply killing him and turning him so that he could kill him again. Regardless, this was one who would not long outlive his victim. 

Grabbing Solomon's shirt, Dracula prepared to sink his fangs into him, when something wrapped around his throat and yanked him back hard. As he pulled at the leather cord around his throat, he twisted his head around to see Diego holding a whip. Rising to his feet, Dracula yanked back at the length of the whip which Diego released in order to not be knocked over himself. Standing, Dracula glared at Diego, eyes glowing red. 

"So you do have a little bite after all," Dracula said. "But don't think you or your taverness are getting away so easily."

Diego made sure to keep himself between Dracula and Victoria. He felt an icy calm, despite the fact that he was at a distinct disadvantage. _The secret is to make your opponent angry._ The words echoed in his head, though this might prove more dangerous than wise with Dracula, who already seemed quite angry. If the female vampires were any indication, Dracula was much stronger and faster than him. On open ground, it would be difficult to keep away, especially from his lightning, but if everything worked correctly, that shouldn't be a problem, and if it didn't work perfectly, Victoria would still have an opportunity to escape. He was not going to let Dracula harm her. 

Knowing that he had to act sooner rather than later, Diego pulled the heavy bag off his back, eyes never leaving Dracula. He could feel the solid shape of the box inside.

"Victoria," Diego whispered quickly, not sure whether Dracula could hear or not, "Get away. Out of sight. I need you safe. I love you." He moved towards Dracula purposefully, hoping to keep all the attention on him. He was relieved to see Victoria was for once doing what he told her. "I don't know. I've made a habit of escaping. I'm not sure I can break that now." He cautiously pulled the box from the bag.

"I knew a desperate man could find it. Well done," Dracula said, eyes on the box.

"It was more luck than desperation," Diego replied. He took a deep breath. A lot counted on his being convincing. He would have only one chance. "But I won't deny the desperation. I've fought evil men for a long time, but none of them have been anything like you. I'm tired, and I don't know how to fight you. I don't know why whatever is in the book is important to you, and I don't really care why. But since I'm sure it's nowhere to be found in California, I'd rather give you this and have you leave than risk more damage to the people here."

"That seems out of character for the Fox," Dracula said.

"I'm sure you're used to men not living up to their reputations where you're concerned," Diego replied. "Especially when you've threatened the ones they love. So, _this_ is yours if you promise to leave." He'd been playing a weakling so long, it wasn't that hard to project weakness, but this was more of a challenge since Dracula also knew he was Zorro.

"Very well," Dracula lied, without blinking an eye. "But I'm sure you'll understand that I want to be sure the book is in there."

"Of course." Diego put the box on the ground and took several steps back. His hand was itching to draw his sword, but that would be a mistake. _Keep a cool head and look weak_, he thought. 

Dracula didn't bother to keep his eyes on Diego as he knelt in front of the box, but Diego felt sure that any sudden move would be anticipated. He stood still, trying not to draw any attention to himself, as he waited for Dracula to open the box. It seemed that he was familiar with how it opened and, in a half minute that seemed an eternity, was lifting the lid.

The explosion came almost instantly, knocking Dracula back, the ground garlic Diego had placed next to the charge burning his skin far more than Diego had anticipated. Drawing his sword, Diego wished he hadn't dropped the spear inside. Right now his option was beheading, and that would prove to be a greater challenge. 

Steeling himself to act, Diego approached Dracula, whose hands were covering his face. That's when he made his mistake. Dracula had stopped moving, and Diego leaned too close. The moment he did, moving faster than he'd expected, Dracula was up, pushing his sword aside and throwing him directly through the nearest window.

Diego landed on the floor with a thud; he'd lost his grip on his saber as he'd gone through the window. Luckily his back had gone through the window first, and his coat had protected him from most of the glass. He rolled over onto his stomach and started to push himself to his feet when a hand grab him by the back of the neck and pinned him down hard. Above him, out of sight, Dracula hissed, "Now,_ that _is more like what I expected from the Fox." Dracula yanked him up and hurled him across the room and into the central hallway.

Diego landed hard, tumbling and rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop on his back. Smoothly and easily, as if in no particular hurry, Dracula walked after him. His eyes blazed crimson, and the burns on his face were already very nearly gone. He grabbed Diego by the shirt and dragged him into the dining room where he unceremoniously dumped him into the same chair from which Victoria had escaped only minutes before.

Slowly, Dracula circled him. "I must commend you, de la Vega. The ruse with the box was most clever. In fact, I like to play with fire too." He raised a hand and a spark shot to life and started running against the base of the wall out in the hallway, obviously a fuse of some kind. Diego watched it run the length of the hallway and disappear around the corner into the darkness. "In a matter of minutes, the barrels of gunpowder below this house will reduce this place to rubble and I'll be on my way out of California." Dracula leaned in close and smiled. "And I don't intend to be going alone."

Up until now, Diego had been content to bide his time and let Dracula talk so he could get back his wind. But he knew full well it was Victoria he meant. "You won't touch her!" Diego roared and drove his heel into Dracula's knee with as much force as he could summon, sending him reeling back several steps.

It gave Diego just enough time to snatch up the spear he'd dropped earlier. He lunged with the spear, but Dracula grabbed it before it could reach its target . Diego tried to leverage it away, but the stick snapped in half, and Diego fell back holding one end, while Dracula dropped the other to the ground.

Dracula grabbed for him again, and Diego struck this time with the pointed end. It pierced Dracula's shoulder causing him to back away in pain. Diego grabbed up the other half of the spear and hit him on the head with it as he made a break for the fuse. He rounded the corner just in time to see the fuse snake its way through a dimly lit doorway. Diego sprinted for it but a black mist swirled up around him and from it materialized Dracula.

For Diego, it was like running into a wall. He fell backwards and had no sooner hit the floor when Dracula was on him, a knee on his chest and a hand on his throat. "You know," Dracula fairly purred, "Victoria's blood is truly tantalizing. I think she'll make a fine vampire. She might even be one I would be willing to keep. As for you, I was going to just kill you, but now... now I have a far better notion. After I've turned your precious taverness, I'll let her turn you. I might even let her keep you as a pet."

Dracula was heavy, and the weight on Diego's chest was agonizing. Still, his thinking was strangely clear. He thought of Victoria, his father, Felipe, even Solomon, but mostly Padre Benites and what he'd told him. The padre was right. This was the time. Diego knew what to do.

"But for now," Dracula growled, "you've pained me enough!"

"No," Diego spat as he reached for the dagger in his coat, "Not yet!" He drove the blade into Dracula's neck, all the way to the hilt. Dracula stood up and staggered back, shrieking in pain. Diego grabbed the broken spear and rammed it into the center of Dracula's chest. He charged ahead, both hands firmly on the shaft, driving Dracula through the door.

Dracula was still snarling as he fell backwards down the stairs into the darkness. Diego felt sick, but mindful of the fuse and unsure how long he had, turned and ran for the front of the house. He'd just made it outside when he heard a deafening explosion, and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, much of the fight scene is due to my husband's work. Also I was always going to have Diego fight Dracula without the mask, which is in large part what inspired Dracula's impersonation of Zorro, as I wanted Diego to have a very good excuse to not be Zorro at the end. 
> 
> I also took (a little) inspiration from my favorite Disney Zorro episode "Zorro, Luckiest Swordsman Alive" where Zorro is framed by a double and Diego doesn't dare don the mask until he clears Zorro's name. The idea also had some roots in the realization that in Los Angeles no one was really going to notice the resemblance of Diego and Dracula, but Zorro would be a different story.


	21. Chapter 20 - A New Day

Diego wasn't sure what was happening. Everything around him seemed very hazy. Somehow he seemed to be standing in the garden at home. His grandfather was pruning the rose bushes. For some reason, he thought it should be strange to see him but couldn't remember why.

"Grandfather?" he asked.

The old man turned to look at him. "You did well, Diego," he said. "Now you can let the book go. It will be needed elsewhere in the future. Solomon will know who to take it to. This isn't your fight anymore." He turned back to the roses.

The world was getting hazier again. Diego tried to say something, to ask his grandfather a question, but he felt leaden and tired. The garden disappeared.

"Diego?" The voice was very soft and very pleading. "Diego, please..."

He opened his eyes slowly and saw Victoria leaning over him. His head hurt, and his body ached, but none of that seemed to matter much when she started kissing him.

"Don't do that again," she said fiercely, between kisses.

"What happened?" he finally managed to ask.

"I don't know exactly, but the moment you were out the door, there was an explosion and the door hit you. The house just fell in on top of itself. I thought you'd been killed." Tear tracks stained her cheeks.

Cautiously, Diego lifted one hand to wipe away some of the tears. "Would I let that happen?" he asked with a trace of Zorro's cocky grin.

She managed to return the smile, though the worry hadn't really left her eyes. "Of course not, I don't know what I was thinking," she said in a slightly teasing tone.

Diego struggled to sit up. He was facing the hacienda, or rather the remains of the hacienda. He wasn't sure quite how that had happened. It had collapsed rather than been blown out. It would be a challenge to dig anything out of there. Somehow he was near the garden gate. He didn't think he could have been thrown that far, and he was too heavy for Victoria to move very much, but it seemed even improbable that Solomon could have done anything. He was also almost surprised to see his sword belt next to him, his saber returned to its sheath as if it had never left. He was grateful that the collapse of the house didn't seem to have damaged it.

"Where's Solomon?" he asked, looking around. He slid back to rest against the wall, everything he'd just done seemed very distant as if it had happened to someone else. He wished it had.

"Getting a wagon from the stable," Victoria said. "We weren't sure how badly you'd been hurt. And well, while he can move around, he's not really in any shape to ride. I didn't want to leave you." She sniffed a little and said so quietly that Diego could barely understand her, "He wouldn't let me go in after you."

Thinking of what might have happened if she had, he had to fight the shudder. "I'm glad of it," Diego said, reaching out to take her hand and looking over her carefully. She had some scratches that he hadn't noticed earlier. "Are you all right, _querida_?"

"Now, I am," she said, coming to sit next to him.

Diego let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing her gently before leaning back against the wall. They sat there together in silence until they heard the sound of the wagon coming to the front of the gate. Diego pushed himself to his feet. Victoria followed him up, picking up his sword belt and handing it to him. Diego felt a strange reluctance to put it back on but rebuckled it anyway. Victoria wrapped an arm around him, unwilling to let him go for long.

Solomon was sitting in the wagon, looking a little ashen but otherwise as usual. "Ah, good. I was afraid we'd have to try to lift you. Do you think you'll be able to ride?"

"With care," Diego said. He ached all over and was cut and bruised, but he didn't think anything was broken.

"Then I'll give you a lift to where we left the horses, and once we finish there, I'll be on my way."

"Just like that?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, my job here is done. I need to move on. I definitely prefer not to answer questions. People rarely believe the answers," Solomon replied. 

Diego and Victoria moved around to the back of the wagon. Diego gave Victoria a hand up, and then carefully managed to climb up himself. Once they were settled, Solomon started the wagon and they drove in silence until they reached Esperanza and Solomon's horse.

Helping Victoria down, Diego moved around to where they'd hidden the book, thankful he'd never really had to turn it over. He carried it over to Solomon.

A little hesitantly, he said, "I think I'm supposed to give this to you now. For someone else, I think."

Solomon didn't seem at all confused. "I understand. There's another family dedicated to this fight. The name's Van Helsing. I know one of the sons makes a deep study of these things. Now that my work here is done, I'm returning to Europe. I'll see that he and no other gets it."

"Thank you," Diego said, still not sure what prompted him, but he knew the book could not be in safer hands.

"And you can keep this horse. I bought him once I reached these shores and won't be needing him once I reach San Pedro," he said. "He's a very gentle beast. Not really suited to me at all, except that he has great endurance and stays where he's left. His name's Galeno."

"Thank you," Diego said, a little astonished at the generosity.

Solomon stared at him. "I wish you and your lady well. Good-bye," he said and started the wagon.

"_Adios_," Diego said as it passed by.

Suddenly, the wagon came to a stop. Solomon half looked back. "Well done, de la Vega," he said flatly and without another word, he was once again on his way.

Victoria walked to Diego's side and took his hand. They watched until the wagon vanished from sight. The sun was just starting to rise.

Without turning his head toward her, Diego said, "Marry me, Victoria. Today."

"Today?" she asked.

At the question, he suddenly felt guilty. "No, I'm sorry. We've both been through a lot the past week. That was selfish of me."

She turned to him. "If it was, I'm selfish too."

"What?" Diego was surprised.

Looking into his eyes, she said, "I was just surprised you wanted to as well. It's not as if it's sudden. I love you, and I've been wanting to marry you for a very long time. And after all that's happened," she shivered a little, "I want to be able to hold you in the night and for you to hold me. I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I love you, and I don't want to be alone either," he whispered, reaching up to caress one cheek. He leaned down to kiss her, softly, gently, full of love. Then not so gently and for much longer. Eventually, breathlessly, he said, "So today? As soon as I can talk to the padre?"

"Yes, today is definitely a very good idea" she said, equally breathless, but then glancing down at their clothes, which were blood- and dirt-spattered, added, "But first we need to stop by your hacienda so you can get a change of clothes. Much as I want to marry you, I have no intention of getting married in what we're wearing now."

Diego stepped away from Victoria, though he still held one of her hands in his. He looked at the state of his clothes and said, "Yes, you are quite right. Any particular suit?" he asked..

She thought a moment.. "The green one. I've always liked it, and you hardly ever wear it," she finally said.

"Easy enough," he said.

"Any preferences of your own?" she asked, as they walked over to the horses.

"You're beautiful in anything," he said, but after a moment, "just not..."

She knew what he meant. "No, not that." Victoria, in a sudden concerned tone, asked, "What about your father?"

Diego looked over at her. "He won't mind. In fact, it was his idea."

"Why am I not surprised?" Victoria said with a laugh. She looked towards the east. The sun was just visible over the horizon. "I was so afraid we might not see the sun again."

"It's a new day," Diego added. "And one that promises to be much better than the last."

They started riding in the direction of the de la Vega hacienda. As they rode, they spotted two black horses running wild in the distance. Diego idly wondered if one or both had been Dracula's. He'd probably never know. 

What bothered him more was the memory of the damage Dracula had done and what he himself had been driven to do. He could only hope he'd never find himself in such a position again. He still felt shaken by it.

As they followed the trail back to the hacienda, Victoria asked, "What are we going to tell everyone about what happened?"

Diego furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before answering. "We'll tell them the truth...at least enough of the truth. No one has to know what Dracula was or_ exactly_ how he met his end." _Well, almost no one_. Diego thought as he remembered he would soon be talking to Padre Benites.

When they reached the cave, Diego returned his weapons and checked on Toronado who seemed to finally be himself again. Victoria insisted he take another sword, since he'd been riding to the rescue. He didn't like it, but there was so much he hadn't liked since Dracula had arrived.

Once that was done, they rode back around to the de la Vega stables. Miguel and several of the men were there, armed and suspicious. When they came rushing up, staring at the two of them, Diego realized he had forgotten how he and Victoria must look after what happened. Diego helped Victoria down from her horse, not caring that he was holding her too closely or not letting her go. They were getting married today, and he wasn't going to hide how he felt about her, especially at home. Victoria didn't seem to care either as she clung to him. Briefly as possible he told Miguel the short version of the story he and Victoria agreed on including the fact that they were about to get married, and asked him to have someone get the carriage ready, while they went inside to wash off the worst of the fight.

He was surprised to see Maria in the kitchen, since he had told her not to come back until noon at least, but she had her own ideas. For once, he was grateful that she hadn't listened as she fussed over him and Victoria, shocked to hear the trouble they'd been in and excited to hear they were planning to marry. Maria insisted on finding something for Victoria to wear, so she could get decently cleaned up before going back into town, while insisting Diego go get properly ready himself.

Diego had always suspected that Maria had known how he'd felt about Victoria; she'd never seemed too enthusiastic about Zorro and Victoria's relationship. It was a relief to see her so enthused over Victoria becoming the new mistress of the household, since it would make things easier.

Leaving Victoria to Maria's care, Diego went to his room and stripped off his clothes before washing the worst of the blood and soot off in the wash basin. The water stung the cuts on his face and hands, but none of them were serious; though looking into the mirror, he saw that he was starting to sport some truly impressive bruises on the side of his face. There wasn't going to be any doubt that he'd been in a fight.

He had washed his hands several times before realizing what he was doing. For a while he simply stared at them. They were clean. They looked clean, but they didn't feel that way. Of all the enemies he had faced, he never thought it would ever come to this. He didn't think he would ever see his hands the same way again.

Quickly changing into his green suit, he was back in the library before Victoria. Practice had its advantages, but it wasn't long before Victoria and Maria returned. Victoria looked much better, but she too showed definite signs of having been in a fight. Diego thanked Maria for her help and told her that they should be back by afternoon, as long as Padre Benites agreed to marry them. At that Maria said that she'd make sure the household staff were back and getting things ready for them and hurried from the room.

"I don't think I've ever seen Maria so happy," Diego said, as they went out to the carriage which was standing outside.

"And I know I've never been so happy," Victoria said, as he helped her into the carriage. "I love you."

"And I love you, but I'm glad that we will apparently have some peace at home. This is probably going to be tough, but that's not enough to make me change my mind." He started the carriage for Los Angeles.

"Good, because since the legend's gone, I have no intention of waiting another day to marry the man of flesh and blood," Victoria said with a flirtatious smile. "Whatever we face from here on, it will be better if we're together."

***

It was still early when they arrived in Los Angeles, and Diego stopped the carriage in front of the alcalde's office. Early as it was, Mendoza was already up and shocked to see them looking so cut and bruised. They went inside the office, where Diego told Mendoza the very sanitized version of all that had happened: that Dracula and his man Boris were responsible for all the deaths and the impersonation of Zorro; that they'd kidnaped Victoria in order to force him to give them a book he didn't have; that he and an old family friend had gone there; and somehow Dracula had destroyed the house with himself inside. When Mendoza told him about the strange attack in town, Diego had added that Dracula was also a magician, one more skilled than the one who'd caused them so much trouble a few years before. That seemed to satisfy Mendoza who'd rather believe in a natural rather than supernatural foe.

It was harder telling him about the four missing girls and Joaquin Modesto, saddling him with the responsibility of informing the families. This one time, Diego couldn't do it. He couldn't face them with the lie, and he wouldn't tell them the truth. Mendoza would handle it better with the version Diego had given him.

What really surprised him was that Mendoza didn't seem all that surprised when he heard that Victoria and Diego were planning on getting married. He didn't even seem to suspect that Diego was Zorro, but apparently, he'd had a good idea that Diego had been in love with Victoria (Diego was starting to wonder who he'd ever fooled about his feelings) and, with Zorro gone, couldn't see any reason why Victoria wouldn't want to marry him. Diego actually got a little confused following Mendoza's reasoning, but it didn't matter. Mendoza was willing to act as best man, despite everything that had happened and everything he still had to do.

After they finished talking to Mendoza, Diego walked Victoria back over to the tavern before going to talk to Padre Benites. The good father took one look at him and took him back where they could talk in privacy. Once they were alone, Diego told the priest everything that had happened without dissembling and asked if he'd be willing to marry Victoria and him that day.

Padre Benites asked him, "Have you given any thought to Zorro?"

Diego sighed. "Zorro is dead, and I've loved Victoria for years," he said, phrasing it as he would to someone who didn't know the truth. "I know this seems sudden, but after all that's happened, neither of wants to wait another day."

"Normally, I'd counsel patience, but I think you two have waited long enough. Also, while there's always going to be gossip surrounding sudden weddings, I have an idea that the stories people will be telling won't be ones that endanger either of you, and I think that's the only thing you're worried about."

"You're right," Diego replied. "So will you marry us?"

"Yes, as soon as I can speak with Victoria," the priest said. 

Diego rose to go but Padre Benites stopped him. "My son, are you going to be all right?" he asked very soberly.

"Of course," Diego started to answer but he quickly realized exactly what the padre was really asking. He looked at his hands. He thought of Victoria and the life stretching out before them. "Yes. I'm all right."

Diego went to the front of the church, but before he could cross to the tavern, he saw Victoria walking towards him, wearing her other long sleeved white blouse and red skirt with her black shawl thrown over her shoulders. For some reason, she'd never seemed so beautiful as at that moment, and he just stood there watching her until she reached him.

"You are beautiful," he whispered, lifting her hand for a kiss. "Padre Benites wants to talk to you, and I'll go get Mendoza."

"Hurry back," she said, squeezing his hand before he walked away.

***

The wedding went off quietly, though they'd ended up with a few more witnesses than they'd expected as the available lancers and patrons of the tavern heard about it and made a point of attending these rushed nuptials. He was a little taken aback by the congratulations and the speed at which the story they'd told had gotten around. Victoria was far less flustered, praising her new husband's heroism to anyone who'd listen, but in such a way as it seemed distinctly different from Zorro's. 

Nervous and embarrassed by the attention, Diego was every bit the reluctant hero, more concerned with Victoria than any praise. After the ceremony, all he wanted to do was take her home— to their home. Victoria had packed a small bag as she'd changed, and Diego managed to slip up to her room and get it, before facing yet more people.

Exhaustion was starting to catch up with Diego by the time they made it to the carriage for the drive home. Once they were outside Los Angeles, he noticed Victoria watching him rather intently.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked a little nervously.

"Finally being married to you," she said with a slight smile and a blush started spreading across her cheeks.

He reached over to caress her cheek. "Not disappointed, I hope."

She placed her hand over his and turned to kiss his hand before bringing it down to her lap. "Of course not. I was just thinking what a difference being married makes," she said almost shyly, but after a moment looked up at him with a broad smile and continued more boldly, "It means all those wicked, sinful thoughts I've had about you aren't wicked at all anymore."

Diego reddened a little, though he had been thinking similar thoughts himself, relieved that being a gentleman had suddenly taken on a completely different definition now that they were married. "Wicked thoughts?" he asked with a smile of his own.

"You have no idea, dear husband," Victoria replied, still blushing but not so shy. "And I will confess they weren't all of Zorro either."

Diego was a bit startled. He somehow thought she'd barely noticed him when he wasn't wearing a mask.

"Don't look so surprised," Victoria said. "You were— are— my best friend and a very handsome man. I always thought so. I can't tell you how many times I got jealous about you, though I pretended it was only concern. And while Zorro was dashing and romantic, we spent so much more time together. I think— I hope— somewhere inside I suspected all along because some of those thoughts and dreams... well, usually they were strongest right after you'd done something really brave," Victoria became more animated, "like challenging Sir Miles Thackery or defending your father against Ricardo Quintana or what you did when those bandits held me hostage.... Then I'd get embarrassed and pretend it was because you reminded me of Zorro, not that you were Zorro, and usually say something stupidly hurtful because I was embarrassed. I don't think you can know how relieved I was when you told me the truth; it meant that I wasn't so wanton as to feel that way about two different men. I'm sorry, Diego, for being so blind."

"No, I have more reason to be sorry, _querida_. I was an idiot for years," Diego replied, thinking that if he'd had any idea of how she'd felt, he would have courted her properly long ago no matter how dangerous it would have been. "It was never easy pretending to just be your friend and then snatching a few moments wearing a mask, when I wanted more than anything to be able to hold you and never let you go. And," he added with a smile, "you weren't the only with sinful thoughts."

Victoria's smile broadened a little. "I think we were both foolish for a very long time," she said. "Now however, we can finally be ourselves, and we _don't _have to let each other go."

She leaned against him tiredly, and he put his arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head. It was amazing what one simple ceremony could change, and nervous as he was about the immediate future, especially considering how bruised and tired they must both be feeling, he was more than happy that he and Victoria were starting a new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that technically they should have to wait for banns to be read, but since in "A New Lease on Love" there is apparently nothing to keep Victoria from marrying Juan immediately except the fact that it was ridiculous and completely wrong, I went with there being no reason to delay Diego and Victoria either since it's long past time they were married. But since I have little interest in wedding scenes (all that matters to me is that the characters are married at the end), the ceremony itself got skipped.
> 
> Also, the events/people Victoria refers to near the end of the chapter are Sir Miles Thackery from "He Who Lives by the Sword", Ricardo Quintana from "Unhappy Medium," the bandits from "Armed and Dangerous".


	22. Chapter 21 - Two Weeks Later

Diego woke with a start. Looking around anxiously, he breathed a little easier when he saw the sleeping form of Victoria next to him. He lay back down, putting an arm around her, kissing her forehead, and she cuddled closer in her sleep. It had just been another nightmare. Two weeks had passed since that night with Dracula and though his nightmares were not as intense, they still persisted.

He stared up into the dark and let his thoughts drifted over everything that had happened since their most unusual wedding day. Now, he could laugh at the irony that by the time they had gotten home, they had both been so tired they had slept the rest of the day, but that was only because they had spent most of the night and the next day making up for lost time. He'd still been aching from his fights, but their first night together was still everything he had imagined, albeit somewhat more challenging.

Though they would have liked to, they hadn't been able to ignore the outside world entirely. He still had his ranch duties as well as working on hollowing out a section of the cave to more securely secrete his great-grandfather's trunk for the future. Victoria was looking for a manager for the tavern as well as moving her things and learning what she would need to do as mistress of the house. 

Diego usually traveled to town with her, ostensibly to help with the moving but mostly because he didn't want to be away from her. During these trips, he was startled to realize that most of the gossip about his sudden marriage was more about his heroic rescue of Victoria than in disbelief about the switch of her affections from Zorro to him. He supposed it helped that everyone seemed to genuinely believe that Zorro was dead, but he had expected some people to think he was taking advantage of Victoria's grief or that she'd possibly just married him for security or maybe that both had just gone insane. 

It was startling to be treated as a hero without a mask on, but apparently the combination of his fight with the Emissary and his going to Victoria's rescue had changed how people looked at him. After expecting to cause more of a scandal, Diego didn't quite know what to make of people who considered their marriage to be quite romantic. If there was anyone more cynically inclined, they were careful enough not to say it where either Diego or Victoria would hear of it.

Diego had spent a lot of time thinking about the day he would be able to put the mask aside, when he wouldn't have to be hero anymore. But now that it was actually happening, he was perplexed and a bit uncomfortable by the attention he was receiving since it seemed as if his disguise were being stripped away whether he wanted it or not. Still, Victoria did a lot to assuage those concerns and remind him that it's what he wanted— what they both wanted— the chance for Diego to be himself without being hunted or challenged.

Right after the wedding, Diego had sent a messenger to his father with the news of their marriage as well as a brief account of the other things that had happened. He expected a return message any time now, and he knew that once his father and Felipe returned home that Alejandro would want to throw the largest party the territory had seen to celebrate both Victoria and Felipe joining the family. He was just grateful that he and Victoria would have this time together before then. It was hard enough making the transition as it was.

Thoughts slowing down, Diego listened to Victoria's steady breathing and could feel himself relaxing. She had been right. They'd both suffered from a few nightmares since their wedding, but it had been better since they were together. As he drifted back into sleep, he vaguely wondered how he'd ever managed without her. And it was at moments like this that made everything that had happened with Dracula feel more like a bad dream than a terrible memory.

***

The sun had just risen when a wagon came to a stop outside an apparent rock wall, near where the old Torres hacienda had collapsed. Two burly men climbed off the back carrying a long wooden crate. Grigori climbed down off the front, then helped down the cloaked form of Ynez Risendo.

"Over there," he said to the two men. Turning to Ynez, he asked, "Can you sense it?"

She pressed close to the wall, running her fingers over it. "Yes, here."

The men brought out tools and gunpowder and started to work. It was much later when an explosion brought down the wall. The men started digging, while Ynez watched. Removing the rocks was a tedious, time-consuming task. It was late afternoon when they'd reached their goal. Ynez directed them to bring over the box and then to carefully move the body into it before sealing the lid. It was then placed into the wagon.

Grigori looked at Ynez's grim face. "You're really not going to revive him before we leave?" he said.

"No, California has been bad luck for all of us. And the journey will be easier. There'll be time enough once we return to Romania. In any event, it will be easier to properly revive him on his native soil. There might be problems, if we attempt it earlier." Ynez smiled slightly. "At least that's what I'll tell him."

"You know best about that," Grigori said. "He might not pleased though."

"I don't think he was pleased that Boris sent you for me in the first place, any more than he was happy that I would rather pursue vengeance on the de la Vegas than find his precious book. I think he will forgive us, when he finds out that what he wants is no longer here," she said.

"How do you know?"

Ynez stared at him grimly. "The same way I knew it was here, even if I couldn't pinpoint it. The same way I knew the moment my brother died. It's not here, and I suspect it's no longer in California," she said. "In any event, I think he will prefer his old hunting grounds. And I will be able to hunt the man who killed my brothers. The next ship leaves tomorrow, and I want to shake the dust of this place from my feet. There is nothing left to be done for now."

They climbed into the wagon and headed in the direction of the setting sun. Ynez glanced at the box containing Dracula's body. He had lost this battle, but she knew he, just as she, wasn't finished. She ran her fingertips along the top of the box. "There, there, my lord Dracula. Don't fret. Nothing is over. Nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to pretend I thought the end of the chapter was going to be a surprise to anyone. It's the one cliche that I was always going to go with. After all, he is Dracula, and Monster Squad is in his future. However, I didn't want Diego to have gone through all that for nothing, so away his body goes so that he can start bothering the Van Helsing family instead.
> 
> Dracula has always been easily revived from apparently permanent death, and one particular version of vampire mythology goes that if you remove the stake from the vampire's heart, he revives. In fact, I think there's a deleted scene from Monster Squad that has that exact thing happening.


	23. Epilogue

One month later, Diego and Victoria were in the courtyard when the carriage carrying Felipe and Alejandro came to a stop in front of the hacienda. Don Alejandro was first to get down and hurried over to the pair, while Felipe took his time and hung back from the welcoming couple.

"You're early, Father," Diego said. "And I see you decided not to take the Monterey coach back."

"Not after the trip to Monterey. Besides we could use another now, and since we finished our business, we were in a hurry to get home," he said.

"Welcome home, Don Alejandro," Victoria said.

"Now none of that, Victoria," Alejandro insisted as he hugged her. "Indulge an old man and call me father. It's taken long enough for it to become official."

Victoria smiled. "As you wish, Father," she said.

Alejandro returned the smile. "Now, daughter, tell me what it took for my stubborn son to ask you."

"A house falling on him," Victoria said with deceptive ease.

"I'd say it was more of a door actually," Diego interjected.

Alejandro laughed. "Either way, that sounds right for a de la Vega. Though I'd say the house is more likely, considering how thick-headed de la Vegas can sometimes be."

"And stubborn," Victoria added. "At least that is a trait I share and can certainly appreciate."

"Father," Diego said quietly. He'd been staring in distraction past Alejandro. "Is there a reason that Felipe is still outside the gate?"

Alejandro glanced back. "Perhaps. I believe he wanted to give me a little time first."

"Time for what?" Diego was sure something was wrong. "Is it to do with why you came back early? I hope it wasn't because we married. We didn't want you to leave on our account. I would have expected you to be spending some time with Señor Montez."

"We did spend time with Señor Montez. He was very knowledgeable..." Alejandro trailed off.

"But..." Diego interjected.

"Felipe wanted to come home," Alejandro said. "We'd been nothing but busy between Señor Montez, De Soto, and taking care of the legal aspects of his adoption. I think we were both looking for an excuse to leave."

"I see," Diego said, wondering why they had given up on Montez so quickly. Perhaps Felipe just wasn't ready, and after all, it was about what Felipe wanted. "The important thing is that he's finally a member of our family."

"Completely and officially," Alejandro said, waving to Felipe, who finally entered the garden.

"Welcome home, little brother," he said happily as he hugged Felipe.

"D-d-di-e-go."

Diego gaped at Felipe. "Did you just..."

Felipe nodded then slowly said, "Sí, Di-e-go."

Looking at his father in astonishment, Diego said, "I thought..."

"I never said Señor Montez didn't help," Alejandro said with a smirk. "I just said we wanted to come home. Now that he's started, Felipe would rather work on things here at home, and Señor Montez gave us many pamphlets of instructions and means of helping him." Alejandro looked Diego in the eye. "You've helped Felipe with so much already; I thought you'd enjoy helping him with this as well."

"You're right," Diego said, his eyes suspiciously moist. "Felipe, I'm so happy to hear your voice again."

Victoria said, "I'm glad to see you both back. The house felt empty without you two here." She looked at Felipe. "And I bet you're hungry, and I won't see my new brother and father starve. Why don't we go into the house?" 

She and Felipe started heading to the house, but Alejandro grabbed Diego's arm and held him back.

"Son, I got your letter about what happened after we left for Monterey," Alejandro said. "It was terse and to the point, and I know it's over, but I want to know what really happened, not the story that Mendoza would tell me in the tavern."

Diego sighed. His father seemed to have gotten more perceptive in the last few months. "All right, Father," he said. "I'll tell you the story, but first I need to know what you know about your uncle Teodoro and his apprentice Solomon Kendall."

"Ah," Alejandro said, with a knowing look. "It's going to be one of those stories..." He started towards the house. "You know my grandfather used to tell me about a calling for certain de la Vegas, but my father said it was more about human evil and old superstitions. Is that what you're wondering about, Diego?"

"I'm not entirely sure, "Diego said thoughtfully, "but I do know it's more than superstition or the evil of mortal men." He stopped short of the door and looked back over his shoulder. He scanned the horizon, for what, he didn't know. "I just hope I never encounter its like again."

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter was the original epilogue of the story, as I just wanted to end with the departure of Dracula's body. But a year later, I added this as a second epilogue so that we could see Felipe and Don Alejandro again. But considering this is all going up together, I just renumbered things at the end.

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when on a cold October day you watch Zorro and Monster Squad back to back— the almost irresistible urge to have Duncan Regehr's Zorro/Diego and Dracula meet. It's crazy, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone (and yes, I know it's ridiculous to think that Dracula would travel 8,000 miles to California for the item in question, but please suspend your disbelief for this). Also, I'm a pretty mild writer and even though this is the most violent story I've ever written, I think it's still pretty mild on both the violence and the horror, but hopefully not on the entertainment value. 
> 
> Also, I'm taking my vampire lore from a bunch of different places but mainly Monster Squad and the novel Dracula. Also, considering that the novel was not published until 1897, Dracula has no need to fear general recognition of his name as a vampire though I do have him taking on a Spanish version of his first name. The connection to the de la Vega family was added to give a reason for the resemblance between the two men, though ironically I ended up not making a big deal about that. 
> 
> Finally, I like my vampires evil, and I especially like this vampire evil, so aside from having him behave with a little more subtlety than in Monster Squad, Dracula's still completely malevolent.


End file.
